HIBAPRESS
Satellite images analyzed by an American research center have revealed a significant acceleration in construction work during 2026 within a heavily fortified Iranian site located deep inside Mount Kolang near Natanz, amid Western intelligence suspicions that the site is being used to establish an undeclared nuclear facility for uranium enrichment.
The latest images, taken on August 9, showed intensified work related to fortifying tunnel entrances and developing the road network within the site, although experts could not verify the accuracy of Israeli intelligence reports that spoke of centrifuges being transferred to the facility.
Experts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington analyzed satellite images spanning six years, concluding that activity at the Mount Kolang site during 2026 exceeded levels recorded since the facility's construction began.
The experts stated that the images show a "clear increase in construction work during 2026," including the reinforcement and fortification of tunnel entrances, paving internal roads, strengthening areas around the entrances, as well as leveling and removing excavation debris.
In contrast, the center confirmed that the available images do not allow for the confirmation or denial of the Israeli intelligence assessment stating that Iran has transferred centrifuges to the site.
US President Donald Trump had threatened in July to bomb the facility, in the context of a war that Washington says aims to destroy Iran's nuclear program, stating that the United States "will be bombing this site very soon, and with great force," a threat that has not yet been carried out.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) requested Iran to provide information about the Mount Kolang site and to allow its inspectors access, while CSIS reported, according to reports, that Tehran has not responded to these requests.
The experts indicated that targeting and destroying the facility represents a significant military challenge, given its location within a granite mass and at a great depth, even if the most powerful US non-nuclear bombs were used.
The war between the United States and Iran has entered its seventh month, amid continuous military escalation, as Iran launched new attacks on American targets in the Middle East on Wednesday, in response to US strikes targeting Iranian oil tankers.
