Fresh satellite imagery indicates that work has resumed at a secret facility in Iran that Israel has linked to nuclear weapons development. The site, located northeast of the capital, Tehran, was badly damaged in strikes carried out several months ago.
Images captured in early September show extensive clean-up operations underway. Debris from buildings destroyed in the attacks has been removed, and a large crater left by a bomb has been filled in. Heavy earth-moving vehicles are in use at the site, and machinery is also visible operating in an area that appears, from the outside, to be ordinary open ground.
Vehicle activity has also risen markedly. Cars and trucks are again arriving in large numbers and have been spotted not only in parking areas but also within the site’s secured inner zone, suggesting a renewed flow of personnel and work.
Background of the strikes
The United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on March 3, 2026. At least three buildings at the Minjadai facility were destroyed or severely damaged in those strikes. Some underground structures are also suspected to have been hit.
Israeli claims
The Israel Defense Forces first drew attention to the site earlier this year, saying that a number of scientists there were working on components required for a nuclear bomb. It described the facility as no ordinary military base and said operations there were conducted in strict secrecy.
According to Intelli Times, a group that monitors Middle East security, the facility was established in 2022. The organization said it is being used to rebuild infrastructure needed for nuclear weapons research and manufacturing.
Think-tank assessment
The US-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) addressed the site in a report released on October 6. It said the resumption of work at the facility indicates that the activity carried out there is of high importance to Iran.
The findings have deepened concerns among observers that Iran has no plans to abandon its nuclear weapons program entirely.