Intensified construction work has been seen at a facility central to Israel’s long-suspected atomic weapons programme, according to satellite images analysed by experts. The development at the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center near Dimona could signify a new reactor or a facility designed for assembling nuclear arms, though the programme's inherent secrecy makes precise identification difficult.
This activity is set to reignite questions surrounding Israel’s widely believed status as the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed state. It also risks drawing international criticism, particularly as it follows joint operations in June where Israel and the United States bombed nuclear sites across Iran, including the heavy water reactor at Arak, amid concerns Tehran could pursue atomic weapons.
