Surge in construction at Iran’s deeply buried Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site seen
Satellite imagery has revealed a significant increase in construction activity at Pickaxe Mountain, a deeply buried Iranian facility near Natanz that has attracted growing attention from US and Israeli intelligence officials. A new analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) examined six years of satellite imagery and found that construction activity in 2026 is higher…
Recent satellite imagery has unveiled a surge in construction work at Iran's underground nuclear facility, dubbed Pickaxe Mountain, situated near Natanz. A recent analysis conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) detected heightened construction activity at the site during 2026, surpassing any previous observations.
The construction work includes reinforcing underground access points, expanding and paving internal roads, hardening entrances, and removing excavated materials. The CSIS report emphasizes that while the imagery cannot substantiate claims that Iran has relocated uranium centrifuges and components into the facility, the strategic importance of Pickaxe Mountain cannot be overstated.
The facility's depth and geological composition make it challenging to destroy with conventional weaponry. Furthermore, the site's construction could potentially hinder diplomatic efforts and escalate military calculations, as it could prove more difficult to neutralize a facility designed to withstand airstrikes amidst restricted inspections and a large stockpile of enriched uranium.
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