Watch | Satellite images show excavators at Iran's Fordow nuclear site — experts decode what it means

Days after US airstrikes, Iran has deployed heavy machinery at the Fordow nuclear site, according to latest satellite images.

The United States struck the Fordow nuclear site with 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs . The other two nuclear sites struck with bunker busters and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles were the Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites respectively.

Latest satellite images show personnel with excavators and cranes at the Fordow nuclear site that analysts say appear to be engaged in repairs and damage assessment.

In satellite images taken on Sunday (June 29), an excavator and several personnel are positioned immediately next to the northern shaft on the ridge above the underground complex, Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin reported image-provider Maxar Technologies as saying.

“The crane appears to be operating at the entrance to the shaft/hole. Several additional vehicles are also seen below the ridge and are parked along the access path that was built to access the site,” Maxar further said.

Iranians are actively working at the two bunker buster impact sites penetrating the ventilation shafts of the Fordow Enrichment Plant with heavy earth moving equipment including one excavator at each location, according to according to David Albright, the President of the think tank Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS).

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These batch of images add to the evidence that shows that US strikes deal significant but not irreversible damage.

Iran beefs up Fordow nuclear site after US strikes

The earthmoving and construction activities at the Fordow nuclear site shows that Iran is moving on after US strikes and is beefing up the site in what appears to be preparation against any future military action.

The earthmoving and construction activities at the Fordow nuclear site suggests that Iran is moving on after US strikes and is beefing up the site in what appears to be preparation against any future military action.

While such a movement of equipment and personnel at Fordow would not be unusual, the timing —closely after US strikes— and scale suggests that Iran may be undertaking quick post-strike management and that likely includes debris clearance and preliminary damage assessment, says Y Nithiyanandam, the Head of the Geospatial Research Programme at the Takshashila Institution.

Nithiyanandam highlights that this is not the first time such post-strike work has been seen.

“Earlier at the Natanz site, one of the visible holes due to impact from the strike appears to have been sealed off quickly. This could indicate a prompt effort to contain the damage and restore operational continuity at the site,” Nithiyanandam tells Firstpost.

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This is in line with Nithiyanandam’s previous assessment after the US strikes that imagery so far has indicated severe but not irreversible damage.

“The strikes likely caused operational pauses and forced emergency procedures, but whether the infrastructure is functionally neutralised requires ground-based inspections. As a geospatial analyst, I would say that the imagery indicates severe disturbance but not irreversible damage,” Nithiyanandam previously told Firstpost.

Separately, ISIS President Albright said on X that images also indicate that backfilling of craters as well as conducting engineering damage assessments and likely radiological sampling.

“The craters above the main shafts remain open. Two of the six MOP [Mass Ordnance Penetrator] impact points appear to have been covered by square slabs. In other areas, we have observed that the Iranians have also rapidly repaired the bomb cratering damage on the main entrance road from only a few days prior,” Albright further said.

A review of historical satellite imagery of the Fordow site supports the argument that Iran is beefing it up, according to Nithiyanandam.

“It appears that the Fordow site has undergone significant structural fortification as also seen in historical imagery. It’s likely that Iran will now use this moment to reinforce critical areas further and enhance resilience against future attacks,” said Nithiyanandam.