Tehran, Sept. 9 -- A suspected Iranian nuclear site buried beneath granite has seen a sharp increase in construction activity this year, according to a new analysis of six years of satellite imagery by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
The Pickaxe Mountain site, located near the Natanz nuclear complex about 140 miles south of Tehran, has long drawn the attention of intelligence agencies, which believe it could be used to protect parts of Iran's future nuclear programme.
The CSIS analysis, shared exclusively with CNN ahead of publication, found "a clear surge in construction activity" at the site in 2026.
The underground facility is "likely" intended to serve as a protected site for Iran's nuclear programme, the a...