A suspected Iranian nuclear site buried beneath a granite mountain has seen a sharp increase in construction activity this year as the war between the US and Iran has unfolded, according to a satellite imagery analysis reviewed by CNN.
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The Pickaxe Mountain site, located near Iran's Natanz nuclear complex about 140 miles south of Tehran, has been the subject of sustained attention from intelligence agencies, which view it as a likely location for protecting future Iranian nuclear programme activities.
A new analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), shared exclusively with CNN ahead of its publication, found “a clear surge in construction activity” at the site in 2026 after reviewing six years of satellite imagery.
The CSIS analysts said the underground facility was “likely” designed as a safe haven for Iran's nuclear programme.
