Afət Ziyadqızı
Construction activity has been observed at a facility being built beneath a granite mountain near Iran’s Natanz nuclear complex. The site is believed to have been designed as a shelter to protect Iran’s nuclear program from potential attacks.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that, according to experts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), construction at the site shifted from active excavation to internal works in 2026. Work is also reportedly under way to reinforce tunnel entrances and cover the road network.
The facility is currently not believed to be ready for uranium-enrichment activities. Israeli intelligence has suggested that Iran could attempt to move centrifuges to the site.
US President Donald Trump said the facility could be targeted at any time. He said all activity in the region was being closely monitored and that the site could be struck soon.
The granite structure is reportedly designed to provide a high level of protection even against the heaviest non-nuclear bombs in the Pentagon’s arsenal, including the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator.
The US military is reportedly conducting research at missile test ranges aimed at destroying deeply buried underground facilities and continues to work on developing a new generation of bunker-busting bombs.
Natanz is one of Iran’s main nuclear sites and has long been associated with the country’s uranium-enrichment program. Deep underground facilities are generally intended to increase protection against airstrikes, although assessments of their capabilities and operational readiness remain subject to change.
