Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, Explained

New satellite imagery shows the single greatest surge in construction-related activity in the nuclear site’s six-year history, according to CSIS experts Joseph Rodgers and Doug Comstock. Analysis of optical and synthetic aperture radar imagery identified three construction phases, with a major surge beginning in January 2026 following U.S. and Israeli military operations.

The underground facility, buried 80 to 100 meters deep in granite, may be beyond the reach of the U.S.’s largest bunker-buster munitions, the experts say. They note that while striking tunnel entrances could temporarily halt operations, it would not eliminate Iran’s nuclear program, underscoring the need for a negotiated solution.

Sources: CSIS (YouTube)