Iran filled in nuclear site tunnels ahead of US airstrikes: Analysts
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Iran likely took preemptive action to protect key parts of its nuclear infrastructure, including the Isfahan and Fordow sites, just days before US airstrikes.
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Satellite imagery showed cargo trucks near Fordow's entrance days before the strike (Maxar Technologies)
Iran likely took preemptive measures to shield critical parts of its nuclear infrastructure before recent US airstrikes, according to new satellite imagery analyzed by a Washington-based nonproliferation group.
The Institute for Science and International Security published Airbus satellite images showing trucks dumping soil into tunnels at Iran’s Isfahan nuclear facility on Friday, two days before the airstrikes.
The report suggested that the US cruise missile attack was aimed at obstructing access to underground components of the Isfahan site. Analysts believe these efforts were intended to limit potential damage from the strikes.
Similar protective activity was observed at the Fordow enrichment facility. According to the Institute, Iran appeared to fill in tunnels at the site, likely as a means to mitigate the impact of any incoming strikes.
No signs of radioactive contamination, IAEA confirms
US President Donald Trump claimed that the strikes "obliterated" targeted nuclear sites and caused "the biggest damage far below ground." However, these assertions remain unverified. Bloomberg reported that the strikes targeted three primary locations, including Fordow, but noted that available satellite imagery does not currently support Trump's claims.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), there were no indications of radioactive contamination at the affected sites. The agency has not provided further details regarding the structural impact of the strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure.
Iran: Minor damage to nuclear sites after US attack, no radiation
In its first official response to US airstrikes targeting nuclear facilities inside the country, Iranian authorities stated early Sunday that the attacks caused no radiation leaks or risk to surrounding populations and confirmed that the structural integrity of the targeted sites remains intact.
This comes shortly after US President Donald Trump announced, in a post in Truth Social, on Sunday at dawn, that the United States carried out what he described as a "very successful attack" on three Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
Iran’s National Nuclear Safety System Center, which operates under Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, reported that monitoring systems had not detected any radioactive contamination at the Fordow, Natanz, or Isfahan nuclear facilities. The agency affirmed that all systems were operating normally and that the situation was under control.
"There is therefore no danger for the inhabitants living around the ... sites," it stressed.
Manan Raeisi, a member of Iran's parliament representing Qom, the province where the Fordow facility is located, affirmed that “preliminary inspections at the strike locations confirm there is no nuclear radiation.” He further asserted that claims made by US officials, particularly US President Donald Trump, were misleading.
“Based on verified information, I can say that contrary to the American president’s false claims, the Fordow facility did not suffer significant damage. Most of the impact was surface-level and easily repairable,” Raeisi said.
Raeisi described the US president’s statements as exaggerated and noted that the lack of casualties at the Fordow nuclear site is evidence of the superficial nature of the strikes.
“Trump’s fabricated claim about Fordow’s destruction only highlights how ineffective the strikes truly were, so superficial that not a single martyr has been reported at the site,” he added.
He also warned that the attack represents a direct escalation.
“This act of American aggression marks clear and direct involvement in the war,” he warned, stressing that “Iran alone will determine the timing and nature of its response to this reckless provocation.”
Read more: Behind the scenes: Trump's decision to strike Iran mapped - CNN
