New satellite imagery reveals Iran has installed roofed coverings over damaged structures at its Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities, obscuring international monitoring months after Israeli and US strikes
Fresh satellite imagery has revealed new construction at two of Iran’s nuclear facilities previously hit by Israeli and US strikes, with activity emerging months after a 12-day conflict in June. The images, captured by Planet Labs PBC, show new roofs placed over structures at the Isfahan and Natanz sites, developments that come as international inspectors remain barred and remote monitoring remains a key oversight method, according to the Associated Press.
The coverings are the first major signs of construction detectable by satellite at any of Iran’s bombed nuclear facilities since the conflict. The roofs block overhead views of ground activity, increasing concerns about what work may be taking place at the locations.
Iran has prevented inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency from accessing the sites, leaving satellite observation as the main monitoring tool, the news agency reported.
Diplomatic pressure and military posture
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on Iran to negotiate over its nuclear programme to avoid potential American military strikes, pointing to Tehran’s violent suppression of nationwide protests. The United States has deployed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers to the Middle East, though it remains unclear whether force will be used.
Experts say the new structures do not appear to signal reconstruction of damaged facilities.
“They want to be able to get at any recovered assets they can get to without Israel or the United States seeing what survived,” said Andrea Stricker of the Washington-based Foundation for Defence of Democracies. The roofs, she added, likely allow Iran “to assess whether key assets — such as limited stocks of highly enriched uranium — survived the strikes.”
🇺🇸🇮🇷 AP reports that Iran has added roof structures over its nuclear facilities at Natanz and Isfahan, sites previously hit in attacks. The coverings now obscure satellite observation of activity on the ground, complicating international monitoring efforts. pic.twitter.com/S7nvfWoKbi
— Iran War Updates (@StrikeMonitor) January 30, 2026
Damage to nuclear infrastructure
Before the June conflict, Iran operated three main nuclear sites. Natanz, around 220 kilometres south of Tehran, housed advanced centrifuges enriching uranium up to 60%. Isfahan produced uranium gas used in enrichment, while Fordo is located deep beneath a mountain.
Israel targeted the facilities early in the conflict, followed by US strikes using bunker-busting bombs and cruise missiles. The White House later said the attacks significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear programme, though full details remain limited.
At Natanz, Israel destroyed the primary above-ground enrichment plant on June 13, with US strikes later hitting underground halls. Satellite images show Iran began constructing a roof over the destroyed structure in December, completing it by month’s end. Electrical systems at the facility appear to remain disabled, the Associated Press reported.
Excavation and underground work
Imagery also indicates continued excavation near Natanz at Pickaxe Mountain, where analysts believe Iran may be building a new underground nuclear facility.
At Isfahan, a similar roof was completed in early January over a damaged structure near the site’s northeast corner. The Israeli military previously said strikes there hit facilities connected to centrifuge manufacturing, declining to comment on the new work.
Additional images show tunnels near Isfahan being filled with dirt, a defensive tactic used before the war, while one tunnel appears to have been reopened and reinforced.
“These roofs appear to be part of an operation to recover any sort of remaining assets or rubble without letting us know what they are getting out of there,” said Sarah Burkhard of the Institute for Science and International Security.
Sean O’Connor of the open-source intelligence firm Janes said the aim was likely “to obscure activity rather than to, say, repair or rebuild a structure for use.”
Missile-related sites also active
Satellite imagery further shows Iran rebuilding facilities tied to its ballistic missile programme, including at the Parchin military complex near Tehran. Work has resumed at a location known as “Taleghan 2,” previously identified by analysts as housing equipment for high-explosive testing related to nuclear weapons research.
“This has been reconstituted very rapidly,” said Lewis Smart of Janes. “It’s being expanded to potentially make it more resistant to penetration attacks and bombings.”
Iran maintains its nuclear programme is peaceful, while Western governments and the IAEA say Tehran operated an organised weapons programme until 2003 and has retained the technical capacity to pursue a bomb.
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