Iran says 'scary-looking' satellite images of its sites meant to derail talks

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi confirmed the agency would send a technical team to Iran following his visit to Tehran this month.

Grossi said his impression is that the Islamic Republic's leaders are "seriously engaged in discussions... with a sense of trying to get to an agreement."

The UN body would be the party responsible for verifying Iran's compliance with a deal, Grossi said. "This will have to be verified by the IAEA.''

Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said on Friday that a deputy to the head of the UN nuclear watchdog will visit Tehran in the coming two weeks to continue high-level technical talks.

Kamalvandi added that discussions aim to resolve recurring issues in IAEA reports that, according to Tehran, have contributed to mounting political pressure rather than advancing technical cooperation.

Although the IAEA is not formally part of the Iran-US negotiations, Grossi said he had been in direct contact with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff regarding ongoing nuclear talks with Iran.

“I have enormous respect for Ambassador Witkoff — I’ve been talking to him,” he said. “I see there is a group of very dedicated professionals behind him.”

Grossi met with Witkoff in Rome last weekend, Bloomberg reported citing a diplomat familiar with the exchange.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that progress in nuclear talks with the United States could be possible if Washington continues what he described as a constructive approach.

“If the American side continues a constructive approach and avoids unrealistic demands, we can reach a good agreement,” Araghchi said during a visit to Beijing.

Witkoff and Araghchi are due to meet again on Saturday for a third round of negotiations.

Beijing supports Tehran in holding nuclear talks with the United States, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday.

"China has always been committed to the political and diplomatic solution of the Iranian nuclear issue and opposes resorting to force and illegal unilateral sanctions," Wang was quoted as saying by China's foreign ministry.

"China appreciates Iran's commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, respects Iran's right to peacefully use nuclear energy and supports Iran in conducting dialogue with all parties including the United States to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests through consultation and negotiation."

The Iranian and Chinese foreign ministers met in Beijing, where Araghchi is visiting to deliver a message from Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to President Xi Jinping.

"Iran's nuclear program must remain untouched," Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a televised interview on Wednesday.

"None of the country's achievements in the field of development and progress will be subject to exceptions," he added.

Khatibzadeh said Tehran "does not accept being an exception in international law, and at the same time, there must be a balance between Iran’s commitments and the lifting of sanctions so that we can reach a good agreement."

"We must understand that no miracle will occur the day after an agreement is reached."

The sites, buried beneath Mount Kolang Gaz La, have not been accessed by international inspectors.

"The creation of a security perimeter around deeply buried sites associated with uranium enrichment suggests that Iran is increasingly worried about an individual or group seeking to enter the tunnel complexes undetected," the report wrote. "Whether this type of protective barrier would be effective against a well-armed and resourced adversary is unclear."

The report, based on satellite imagery from March, shows wall panels and road grading forming a perimeter that connects with the Natanz facility. One of the complexes is new and deeply buried, likely intended to replace a centrifuge assembly plant destroyed at Natanz in 2020. The other dates back to 2007 and appears to be undergoing upgrades.

David Albright, the institute's president, said the new perimeter suggested that the tunnel complexes, under construction beneath Mt. Kolang Gaz La for several years, could become operational relatively soon.

The complexes could be used to store Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium or undeclared nuclear materials, and advanced centrifuges that could quickly purify enough uranium for a bomb, Albright was quoted as saying by Reuters.

The ongoing construction appears to underscore Tehran’s rejection of demands that nuclear talks with the US lead to the full dismantlement of its program, Reuters reported. Iran has maintained it has the right to peaceful nuclear technology.

Israel has not ruled out military action. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists any deal must result in the complete dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

Iran is constructing a new security perimeter around two underground tunnel complexes near its Natanz nuclear site, according to a report by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) released Wednesday.

The sites, buried beneath Mount Kolang Gaz La, have not been accessed by international inspectors.

"The creation of a security perimeter around deeply buried sites associated with uranium enrichment suggests that Iran is increasingly worried about an individual or group seeking to enter the tunnel complexes undetected," the report wrote.

"Whether this type of protective barrier would be effective against a well-armed and resourced adversary is unclear," it added.

The report, based on satellite imagery from March, shows wall panels and road grading forming a perimeter that connects with the Natanz facility. One of the complexes is new and deeply buried, likely intended to replace a centrifuge assembly plant destroyed at Natanz in 2020. The other dates back to 2007 and appears to be undergoing upgrades.

ISIS said neither site has been declared to the International Atomic Energy Agency, potentially violating Iran’s safeguards agreement.

The ongoing construction appears to underscore Tehran’s rejection of demands that nuclear talks with the US lead to the full dismantlement of its program, Reuters reported. Iran has maintained it has the right to peaceful nuclear technology.

Israel has not ruled out military action. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists any deal must result in the complete dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.