SATELLITE imagery has revealed Iran’s terrifying efforts to create a secret, armored nuclear bomb buried in the mountains.
This follows warnings by a nuclear weapons expert that Tehran could produce a bomb in just six months from one of its “secret” nuclear facilities.
When Israel introduced its calculated precision strike on the Iranian city of Isfahan last week, many thought the nuclear site there was a target.
Despite reports that no nuclear facilities were hit, a nearby airbase suffered extensive damage, as revealed in the leaked footage.
Now, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise, the West would arguably have a clearer idea of the nature of Iran’s nuclear projects just an hour away: at the Natanz base.
Tehran is believed to harbor abundant stockpiles of this element, just below the level of the military to make an atomic bomb.
If he got his hands on such a weapon, his archenemy, Israel, would probably be among the most sensible targets on the list.
Natanz, through armed IRGC troops, air defenses, and a perimeter fence, is Iran’s main uranium enrichment facility.
Satellites reveal the bustle of activity at the secret fuel enrichment complex.
Iran Can Make a Bomb Faster Than at Any Other Time in Its History
The footage, shared through the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), reveals just how hard Iran is running to build a formidable indestructible nuclear base.
They come with a series of photographs dating back to October 2022 documenting Tehran’s frantic efforts towards the site.
Some experts worry that Iran may simply build a nuclear bomb – or hide its efforts to do so – in all likelihood within this secret bunker.
Kelsey Davenport, political director of the Arms Control Association, had warned in the past: “Iran is on the verge of possessing nuclear weapons; It can build a bomb faster than at any time in its history. “
It revealed that Tehran could extract enough weapons-grade uranium to make a nuclear bomb in just six months.
Iran’s reluctance to allow inspections through nuclear watchdogs or to cooperate with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal makes it incredibly difficult for the West to accurately determine its position.
And an underground site like Natanz, through the Zagros Mountains, would likely be left out of the diversity of foreign missiles in the event of a disaster.
Davenport described this as “a nightmare situation that threatens to set off a new spiral of escalation. “
Built around an intricate network of tunnels, the complex is located on the Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La mountain, known as the “Pickaxe Mountain. “
After years, satellite photographs taken in January show it’s still under construction, as staff review it to make it invincible.
The tunnel complex is even deeper than that of Iran’s main underground plant, the Fordow enrichment center.
Some reports recommend that it covered 100,000 square meters, was buried 8 meters underground and surrounded by concrete walls 2. 5 meters thick.
With more entrances and no apparent ventilation ducts, it would be much more to destroy than other Iranian facilities.
Since 2022, additional protection zones have been added, as well as stocks of construction materials.
ISIS claims the photographs show “Iran’s efforts to strengthen the toughness and survivability of the site. “
They believe the floor rooms are still in progress and photographs from January show heavy machinery covered around the site.
A former Natanz nuclear facility was located on the surface, but it was destroyed in the summer of 2021.
Although Iran hasn’t updated it quickly, it’s obviously aiming for a much more physically powerful upgrade.
International considerations have revolved around Iran’s refusal to cooperate in situations established through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The Nuclear Threat Initiative, a nonprofit security watchdog, believes the massive Natanz complex may be made up of three other underground buildings.
It is also believed to space out three Chinese-supplied study reactors, which run on fuel production and other nuclear programs.
Since 2019 alone, Iran has increased its amount of enriched uranium from 997 kg to 5,525 kg.
In the last year alone, the percentage has increased by 38 percent.
While Tehran has said it does not aim to use uranium as a weapon, officials have brazenly boasted of their ability to do so.
Britain and the United States have been looking for years for a way to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions without going to war.
But recent simmering tensions in the Middle East and reports that Israel may attack Iranian nuclear sites do nothing to limit the escalation.
Iran’s progress on enriched uranium has accelerated since the collapse of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal, in 2018.
Signed in 2015, it eased Western sanctions on Iran in exchange for greater transparency at its nuclear facilities.
The signatories are the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union, China and Russia.
Former President Donald Trump, who at the time was seeking to oust Barack Obama, called it “the worst deal ever made. “
In 2018, as president, he withdrew the United States from the agreement.
As a result, the treaty collapsed, and Biden’s attempt to revive it failed.
While Tehran, under the deal, had to agree to stockpile enough enriched uranium to make a bomb, it has since pulled back from some facets blaming the U. S. withdrawal.
In 2020, it resumed enriching uranium to 20% at its Fordow plant.
In 2021, he began enriching it to 60 percent.
And in February of this year, IAEA inspectors detected traces of uranium enriched to 83. 7 percent.
It will have to reach 90 percent for it to be enough for weapons manufacturing.
It is still unclear exactly where, to what extent and at what speed Iran is enriching uranium due to the country’s lack of transparency in foreign inspections.
Iran currently does not allow inspections, raising security concerns such as a possible Israeli attack.
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