New satellite images now suggest that Iran has started expanding the Fordow nuclear facility, just days after U.S. B-2 stealth bombers hit it under Operation Midnight Hammer on June 21–22.
Fresh Construction Spotted
Photos from Maxar Technologies show heavy machinery operating at the site. Moreover, images reveal fresh construction, disturbed soil, and new access roads. These signs indicate that Iran is possibly working fast to rebuild or modify the damaged area.
Iran May Have Planned Ahead
Interestingly, analysts believe Iran may have prepared for the attack. According to experts, tunnel entrances at Fordow appeared sealed off before the bombings. The U.S. used Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) to target the underground site.
Meanwhile, a report by the Open Source Centre in London pointed out that Iran might have expected the strike. However, no one knows for sure what was moved out of the facility, if anything at all.
What the Satellite Images Reveal
The most recent images show bulldozers and earth-moving machines near the northern tunnel complex. These bulldozers are clearing or shifting soil near a large crater, which likely came from one of the bombs.
Earlier photos from June 19–20 already showed trucks and construction vehicles at the same spot. Experts believe these machines were used to block or reinforce the entrances.
Now, those entrances look completely buried in dirt. Additionally, debris from the bombing is scattered across the area.
Was the Fordow Site Really Destroyed?
The U.S. government claimed that its strikes “obliterated” the Fordow facility. But new evidence suggests otherwise. Analysts say Iran might have already moved its enriched uranium to a safer place before the bombing.
If that’s true, Iran preserved key parts of its nuclear program, even though the site was hit hard.
Can Iran Still Make a Nuclear Bomb?
According to Ronen Solomon, an Israeli intelligence expert, Iran may not be able to build a nuclear weapon just yet. He explained the situation by saying, “They have the uranium, but they can’t do a lot with it unless they have built something we don’t know about on a small scale.” Solomon compared it to having tools but missing a key part. “It’s like having fuel without a car,” he said.
