Report: Satellite imagery shows Iran continued rebuilding nuclear weapons facility while US deal remained in force
Images analyzed for CNN show Iran continued repairing the Taleghan 2 facility while its agreement with Washington remained in force
Satellite imagery shows signs that Iran was repairing and reinforcing a nuclear weapons development facility after agreeing to freeze its nuclear activities under a memorandum of understanding with the United States, CNN reported Friday.
Images taken on June 22 and July 7 showed reconstruction work at the underground Taleghan 2 facility inside the Parchin military complex, according to an analysis by the Institute for Science and International Security based on imagery provided by CNN.
The activity included excavation around three bomb penetration holes in the facility’s roof, additional concrete reinforcement and the apparent installation of rebar for a permanent concrete cap, the institute said.
While the initial work appeared to involve assessing the damage and clearing debris, the later imagery indicated that Iran had moved toward repairing and rebuilding the facility.
Taleghan 2 has been used for research and testing linked to Iran’s nuclear weapons program. The facility was destroyed in an Israeli strike in October 2024, subsequently rebuilt and struck twice more in March.
The satellite images indicate that Iran was already repairing the facility while the June 17 memorandum with the United States remained in force. Trump declared the agreement “over” on Wednesday, following renewed hostilities between the two countries.