All articles tagged with #natanz
President Trump warned Iran against activity at Pickaxe Mountain near Natanz after satellite imagery showed increased construction, as tensions rise with tanker attacks near the Strait of Hormuz and oil prices edge higher; CSIS described the activity as suspicious but could not confirm uranium movements, underscoring broader concerns about Tehran's nuclear program and potential military responses.
President Trump renewed threats to strike Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain—an underground site near Natanz suspected of housing nuclear-related activity—while US-Israel operations, stalled negotiations, and recent attacks on Iran’s infrastructure keep the region volatile; analysts say the mountain remains largely intact and not confirmed operational, and Tehran maintains its program is peaceful, underscoring the fragile state of diplomacy amid ongoing confrontation.
Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen said Mossad toured the Fordow uranium enrichment site 'many times' to understand it, possibly through agents inside or via remote monitoring, and he called the U.S. bombing of Fordow the 'fulfillment of all my dreams.' He also argued that uranium enriched to 60% is not a bomb. Official briefings describe limited damage to Fordow from past strikes, but there are conflicting views on whether Fordow was destroyed; Natanz was reportedly damaged mainly above ground, underscoring ongoing tensions over Iran's nuclear program.
Satellite imagery highlighted by WSJ shows Iran restoring several military sites damaged by U.S. and Israeli strikes faster than expected, with newly excavated tunnel entrances at Kangavar, a repaired bridge, a partially rebuilt Bandar Anzali shipyard, and continued activity at Natanz’s Pickaxe Mountain where uranium centrifuges were moved underground. Experts say Iran’s reconstruction capabilities are strong and could include underground stockpiles of components, suggesting a potential resilience to external attacks and a possible continued enrichment effort.
President Trump threatened to strike Pickaxe Mountain, an underground Iranian facility near Natanz, as U.S. airstrikes target Iranian sites continue amid stalled diplomacy over Iran’s nuclear program. Iran denounces the threats as a violation of international law and vows retaliation, while experts note the site could house enrichment or weaponization activities. Satellite imagery shows intensified construction and security around the site; the move risks broadening conflict in the region and impacting Hormuz shipping as talks on a permanent agreement unfold.
The United States launched another wave of strikes on Iran to degrade its ability to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while President Trump warned of a heavy attack on an underground nuclear site near Natanz; Iran warned of reprisals as air defences activated in Tehran and regional tensions—including drone and missile activity and Houthis' actions—raise the risk to global oil routes.
Amid escalating US-Iran tensions, Trump has threatened to strike Pickaxe Mountain, an underground Iranian facility near Natanz that has been under construction since 2020 after the Natanz sabotage. Satellite analysis shows two tunnel entrances and a security wall, and while the ISIS think tank says it is not yet operational, Iran may plan a centrifuge assembly capability there. Experts say the deeply buried site is difficult to hit with bunker-buster weapons, potentially requiring ground action, though the Trump administration has not signaled any imminent move and intelligence reportedly sees little active activity there.
Pickaxe Mountain is a fortified underground complex near Natanz in central Iran, believed to house a plant to build centrifuges for uranium enrichment and has been under construction since 2020, though it is not yet operational. Iran has not granted IAEA access, while the U.S. has floated military options; experts say the site's deep burial would complicate air strikes and might require ground forces, keeping it at the center of ongoing security concerns about Iran’s nuclear program.
Iranian missiles struck Dimona and Arad near Israel’s Negev Nuclear Research Center in retaliation for an Israeli strike on Iran’s Natanz facility; more than 160 people were injured. Meanwhile, President Trump warned he would obliterate Iran’s energy plants if Tehran does not open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, and Iran threatened retaliation against U.S. and Israeli energy infrastructure. The IAEA said there was no detected damage to the nuclear site, Israel launched strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Iran’s foreign minister spoke with the EU’s foreign policy chief as tensions escalated.
Iran launched missiles at Dimona and Arad in what it described as retaliation for an attack on Natanz, wounding more than 100 people as Israeli air defenses failed to stop some missiles. The strike marks a sharp escalation in the broader US-Israel campaign against Iran, with the IAEA reporting no damage to Dimona’s facility and no abnormal radiation, while Netanyahu pledged further action.
The IAEA says it is examining Iran’s claim that the Natanz nuclear facility was struck, while director Rafael Grossi calls for military restraint to avoid a nuclear accident amid rising regional tensions.
Iran launches missiles at Dimona, injuring 33 and saying the attack is retaliation for the Natanz strike; Tehran’s nuclear agency said there was no radioactive leakage, while Israel claimed the missiles were intercepted and denied knowledge of a Natanz strike, and said it struck a Tehran university facility linked to nuclear-weapon components; the violence is part of broader US-Israeli bombardments and Gulf tensions, driving oil prices higher.
Iran says its missile strike on Israel's Dimona nuclear site was in retaliation for the Natanz attack. Israel confirms a direct impact and reported injuries, while the IAEA is monitoring and says no abnormal radiation levels were detected. The strike follows a US-Israeli operation against Natanz and signals potential broadening of hostilities, with Iran warning of further targets.
Iran’s atomic energy organization says the United States and Israel attacked the Natanz enrichment facility, but officials report no radioactive leakage and the IAEA notes no increase in off-site radiation, amid ongoing regional tensions.
Iran launches missiles at Diego Garcia as U.S.-led forces press a broad offensive under Operation Epic Fury (and allied Roaring Lion), reporting thousands of Iranian targets hit and disturbances around the Strait of Hormuz, with Natanz reported damaged earlier in the conflict.