Iran back at it again? Begins repairs at Fordow nuclear site just days after US bombing, satellite photos show

The latest satellite images from the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP) appear to show Iran moving quickly to repair damage at the nuclear facility, just days after the United States heavily bombed the site. The photos, captured Friday (Jun 27) by Maxar Technologies, show construction equipment and signs of activity near the tunnel entrances and impact points where US bunker-buster bombs struck during last weekend's coordinated strikes. This comes just a week after the US, in a major escalation of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, carried out bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites – Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

What do the latest satellite images show?

In the latest satellite images, excavators and bulldozers can be seen clearing debris and shifting earth around the northern ridge of the mountain that houses the Fordow enrichment complex. As per Business Insider, in particular, crews appear focused on areas where GBU-57 "bunker buster" bombs reportedly struck the site's exhaust shafts—critical access points into the underground facility.

Other images reveal what looks like the start of new access roads being carved into the mountainside, as well as attempts to restore damaged existing infrastructure. This suggests that Tehran may be trying to re-enter the site to assess internal damage and begin recovery work, although Iranian officials are yet to confirm or deny this.

Iran's actions were predicted earlier

A March report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) had predicted such a response. The report said that a long-term strike campaign would be needed to prevent Iran from rebuilding and that in the absence of such an effort, Tehran would relaunch "efforts to dig down to the facilities to re-establish access and supplies would likely begin almost immediately".

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