Iran is working to restore nuclear facilities damaged during U.S. and Israeli operations codenamed Epic Fury and Roaring Lion, according to a CNN report published Friday that cites recent satellite imagery.
The satellite photos, taken in June and July, appear to show repair activity at Iran’s Parchin and Pickaxe Mountain nuclear sites.
U.S. and Israeli airstrikes struck the facilities multiple times during the operations, causing significant damage.
Analysis by CNN and the Institute for Science and International Security reveals that temporary coverings were placed over impact craters at Parchin, later replaced by more permanent mesh structures.
The presence of concrete-mixing trucks in the imagery suggests Iran is preparing to permanently seal the strike damage, experts told CNN.
Further imagery from the Pickaxe Mountain facility shows construction vehicles entering and exiting the underground complex, activity that CNN notes could violate the recently signed U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding.
The agreement obligates Iran to maintain the status quo at all nuclear facilities.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump declared the MoU defunct during a press conference at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
Satellite images of Iran’s Isfahan, Fordow, and Natanz sites show no visible signs of similar restoration work, according to CNN.
Beyond nuclear facilities, CNN also released imagery showing repair efforts at damaged Iranian missile bases. At the Tabriz airbase, a runway crater appears to be being filled with concrete.
CNN reports that U.S. government restrictions on regional satellite imagery were recently eased, allowing media outlets to publish such photos more freely.
