Despite threats, Iran continues underground nuclear operations

Despite a lot of pressure from the International community and especially the United States, Iran is continuously expanding its underground nuclear facility. According to the on-site reports, Tehran has already begun its elusive construction on the site of its underground nuclear facility at Fordo. 

The satellite photos obtained on Friday show the extent of the progress in the work. This after the country is yet to make an official acknowledgment of construction and the activities going on in the area. In 2009 too, the discovery of the secretive construction was brought into the knowledge of the west which led to a boycott of the country followed by a deal in 2015. 

The purpose is yet to be disclosed by the Iranian officials regarding whatever is going on in Fordo. The activities in the region are bound to trigger new concerns especially at the time when Donald Trump is leaving the White House. This is coming after Iran recognized the construction taking place at its Natanz nuclear facility after a mysterious explosion in July this year, an act described as sabotage by Tehran. 

One of the officials studying and noting the activities in Tehran, Jeffrey Lewis, an expert at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies said, “Any changes at this site will be carefully watched as a sign of where Iran’s nuclear program is headed.” 

Iran was contacted to confirm the news by the response that the United Nations was seeking was never given by the gulf country. Even the inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency failed to respond to this matter. These engineers are in Iran as a part of the nuclear deal. 

But if reports are to be believed then it was first reported in September when the construction started at the Fordo site. The satellite images show that the construction is taking place in the northwest corner of the site, which is close to the holy Shiite city of Qom and is just 55 miles from Tehran, the capital city. 

“This location was a major sticking point in negotiations leading to the Iran nuclear deal. The US insisted Iran close it while Iran’s supreme leader said keeping it was a red line,” said Lewis.