Overview
- Planet Labs imagery from late December through January shows new roofs over damaged buildings at both sites, the first notable activity seen since the June strikes by Israel and the United States.
- Experts assess the structures as concealment intended to recover sensitive materials and gauge whether limited stocks of highly enriched uranium survived.
- Iran has barred International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors from the facilities, making satellite observation the primary oversight tool that the new coverings now obstruct.
- Separate images show continued excavation near Natanz at Kūh-e Kolang Gaz Lā (Pickaxe Mountain) and tunnel entrances near Isfahan being filled or reinforced, steps analysts view as defensive hardening.
- Satellite photos also indicate rapid reconstruction at Parchin’s Taleghan 2 site linked to weapons-related testing, while Iran and the IAEA have offered no public comment on the new activity.