IAEA Detects Movement at Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, Nuclear Work Unconfirmed

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi says remotely examined imagery shows new movement and construction activity around Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain complex, about 2 kilometers south of Natanz. He said inspectors have not entered the tunnel system, leaving the agency without concrete information about what may be occurring inside and unable to confirm nuclear activity. Iran began developing the fortified underground complex after the 2020 sabotage of its Natanz centrifuge workshop. The observed movement adds a new agency assessment while leaving the facility’s actual purpose unverified.