Overview
- The Institute for Science and International Security said late June 2026 satellite images show vehicle traffic on roads to Pickaxe Mountain and recent hardening of western tunnel portals, which it says signals ongoing construction inside the underground complex.
- ISIS senior fellow Spencer Faragasso assessed the site is likely large enough to hold an enrichment plant, a finding that raises concerns about Iran keeping to a U.S. memorandum that requires a status quo at nuclear-related facilities.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency has not been granted access to Pickaxe Mountain, leaving independent satellite monitoring as the only public source for what is happening inside the sealed complex.
- ISIS reported uneven activity at other nuclear sites, noting little visible work at Natanz and Esfahan, the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant was destroyed and later covered, and Fordow has received added passive road defenses around tunnel entrances.
- The reporting places Pickaxe Mountain in the post-Operation Epic Fury framework, saying the construction could deepen verification gaps, increase U.S. and Israeli pressure for inspections, and complicate diplomatic implementation of the memorandum.