Iran has been accused of rebuilding suspected nuclear facilities, according to new satellite imagery. Analysts say the step would run counter to the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed with the United States last month, in which Tehran promised not to build nuclear weapons.
The US news network CNN analyzed the new satellite images together with the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security. According to their report, the images raise a fresh question. US President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire “broken” earlier this week, and there is now doubt over whether Iran had already violated it before that. The report comes after the US administration recently launched new airstrikes on Iran in response to repeated attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the report, a site in an area of Iran called Parchin is believed to have been used to make explosives for nuclear weapons. Before a joint US-Israeli military operation late in February, Iran had built a concrete protective wall around the facility – an indication of how important it was to them. The Parchin site was damaged in US and Israeli bombing earlier this year, but new images from June and July show Tehran taking steps to repair and rebuild it. In June, while the MOU was in effect, satellite images showed Iran covering bomb craters with temporary covers, and in July wire mesh was placed over them.
Another suspected site linked to Iran’s nuclear capacity is “Pickaxe Mountain.” Images from last month showed various vehicles moving in and out of tunnels there just days after the MOU was signed – something CNN, citing experts, said was likely a violation of the terms of Tehran’s agreement with Washington. The report said, however, that Iran’s main nuclear facilities such as Isfahan, Fordow and Natanz had not been touched so far.
Iran has also begun work at some of its missile-storage bases, the report said. Beyond nuclear capacity, the United States and its allies have long been concerned about Iran’s missile-building capacity, and the latest satellite images show Tehran starting to repair some of its missile bases as well.
The United States and Iran signed the MOU last June, aiming at a broad framework agreement to end hostilities and permanently halt the war. It covered several key issues, including ensuring the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US naval blockade of Iran’s ports, while Tehran promised not to acquire or build nuclear weapons. The memorandum stated explicitly: “The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms that it will not acquire or develop nuclear weapons. Both countries have agreed to work, through a mutually agreed method, to down-blend or neutralize on-site the enriched uranium stored under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).” A final agreement was also to discuss Iran’s nuclear needs. The new satellite images, however, now raise the big question of whether Iran broke that promise just days after signing the deal.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report