Dramatic satellite images show activity at Iranian nuclear sites bombed by the US despite Trump warning he is prepared to strike again
Satellite images reveal a flurry of activity at the Iranian nuclear sites bombed by the United States and Israel last year.The images by Planet Labs PBC captured roofs being built over two damaged buildings at the The Isfahan and Natanz facilities which were left devastated last June.Experts also noted growing piles of dirt thought to be linked to the creation of a new nuclear bunker. The construction marks the first major activity visible by satellite at any of Iran's damaged nuclear sites since its 12-day war with Israel last summer.The coverings block satellites from observing activity on the ground, which is currently the only way the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) can monitor the sites.The activity comes as US President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded that Iran negotiate a deal over its nuclear program and threatened to send an 'armada' to the country.On Wednesday, Trump warned Tehran that, 'The next attack will be far worse! Don't make that happen again'.Experts said the roofs do not signal reconstruction but instead appear aimed at assessing whether 'key assets' including highly enriched uranium survived the attacks. This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC showed the rubble of the Natanz site on December 3, 2025 Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC showed the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Planet covered by a new roof at Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment site on Wednesday'They want to be able to get at any recovered assets they can get to without Israel or the United States seeing what survived,' Andrea Stricker, who studies Iran for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told the Associated Press.Israel first struck Iran's nuclear sites before the US deployed a barrage of bunker–busting bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles.The American strikes 'significantly degraded Iran's nuclear program,' according to the White House's National Security Strategy published in November.Iran has not allowed IAEA inspectors to visit the sites since the attacks.Natanz, about 135 miles south of Tehran, is a sprawling complex of above– and below–ground facilities that did most of Iran's uranium enrichment.Iran began building a roof over the damaged facility in December and finished construction by the end of the month, according to the new satellite images.The country never publicly acknowledged the work. Natanz's electrical system appears to remain destroyed.The fresh photos also revealed that Iran appeared to be continuing excavation work that began in 2023 at Pickaxe Mountain, which is a few hundred yards south of Natanz's perimeter fence. On Wednesday, Trump warned that 'a massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose' This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC showed a roof built over rubble Iran's Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center This photo from Planet Labs PBC displayed the rubble before a roof was built over it at the Isfahan siteMeanwhile, the nuclear site near Isfahan was largely used to produce uranium gas that is then fed into centrifuges for enrichment.The satellite images showed Iran completed a roof over a structure near the site's northeast corner in early January.The roofs appeared to be an attempt to, 'recover any sort of remaining assets or rubble without letting us know what they are getting out of there,' according to Sarah Burkhard, a senior research associate at the Institute for Science and International Security.Two tunnels into a nearby mountain have also been filled with dirt, per the photos. This was also a defensive measure that Iran took before the June war.A third tunnel appeared to have been cleared of the dirt, with new walls built at its entrance.Sean O'Connor, an expert at the open–source intelligence firm Janes, said Iran's objective was likely, 'to obscure activity' instead of to 'repair or rebuild a structure for use.'The new satellite images were revealed as the Trump administration has repeatedly urged Iran to reach a nuclear deal.On Wednesday, the US President wrote on Truth Social: 'A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose.' Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not allowed inspectors back to the sites since they were bombedHe added the fleet was 'larger' than the one sent to Venezuela and 'ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary.'Trump added: 'Hopefully Iran will quickly 'Come to the Table' and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties.'He called last year's strikes 'a major destruction of Iran' and also warned: 'The next attack will be far worse! Don't make that happen again.'Last June, a leaked 'top secret' assessment suggested that Tehran's stockpile of enriched uranium remained intact after the bombings.The report, which the White House called 'flat–out wrong', was conducted by the Defense Intelligence Agency and leaked by CNN.Anonymous sources claimed the unprecedented missile strikes had only set Iran back 'a few months, tops'.
