WASHINGTON: Recent satellite images reveal that Iran has constructed a concrete shield over a new facility at a significant military site and has buried it under soil. Experts suggest that this development follows an Israeli airstrike in 2024, amid ongoing tensions with the United States. The images also indicate that Iran has concealed tunnel entrances at a nuclear site previously attacked by the U.S. during last year’s conflict between Israel and Iran, while reinforcing other tunnel entrances and repairing missile bases affected by the fighting.
These findings provide insight into Iran’s activities at key locations that are central to the ongoing tensions with Israel and the U.S. The U.S. is currently in negotiations with Tehran regarding its nuclear program while also warning of potential military actions if discussions do not yield results.
One critical site is the Parchin complex, located about 30 kilometers (20 miles) southeast of Tehran. This area has been a focal point of Western intelligence, which previously suggested that Iran conducted nuclear bomb detonation tests there over two decades ago—a claim that Iran has consistently denied.
Reports indicate that Israel launched an attack on Parchin in October 2024. Satellite images taken before and after the strike show significant damage to a rectangular building on the site, with further reconstruction apparent in images from early November 2024.
By mid-October 2025, further development can be seen at Parchin, with the framework of a new building visible alongside two smaller structures. Images from mid-November reveal a metallic roof atop the large structure, but by December, it was partially covered. By February 16, the site was completely obscured, shielded by what analysts are calling a concrete structure.
In a January 22 report, the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) highlighted the progress in building a “concrete sarcophagus” around a newly established facility identified as Taleghan 2 at the site.
