Satellite Images Reveal Unusual Activity at Iran's 'Mount Miscalculation' Nuclear Site

Satellite imagery analyzed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies reveals a significant increase in construction at Iran's underground "Mount Miscalculation" nuclear site during 2026. This accelerated activity coincides with the ongoing six-month war between Iran and the United States. The facility, located in the Zagros Mountains near Natanz, is considered one of Iran's most fortified sites and is believed to be designed as a "safe haven" for its nuclear program, potentially capable of withstanding powerful bunker-buster bombs.

Israeli intelligence estimates that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps transferred thousands of uranium enrichment centrifuges to tunnels deep within the mountain last fall, following Operation "Lion's Den." This information has also been shared with U.S. authorities. Concurrently, there is uncertainty regarding the location of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, estimated at approximately 440 kilograms of 60% enriched material. While some reports suggest half of this material is stored in Isfahan and Fordow, the "New York Times" has noted the possibility that some enriched uranium may have been moved to "Mount Miscalculation."

Analysis of satellite images by the ISIS Institute indicates continuous activity around the tunnel entrances. The "Wall Street Journal" reported that Iran has reinforced the site with ground forces due to fears of a commando operation. This report emerges less than a week after President Donald Trump reiterated threats to strike the facility, stating, "We may strike Mount Miscalculation very soon, because if something happens there, we cannot let it happen. We know about everything that moves everywhere in Iran. And if something goes wrong, we hit them, and we hit them hard. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon because we prevented it from happening."

Despite the U.S. military possessing operational plans to attack the site with its most powerful bunker-buster bombs, officials acknowledge uncertainty about whether these munitions can penetrate to the required depth. However, CNN revealed that just four days before Operation "Wrath of the Almighty" (also known as "Lion's Roar"), a $1.2 million "emergency contract" was signed at the Pentagon to repair an underground testing facility in New Mexico. Sources indicated this test was intended to validate classified capabilities and develop specialized means for attacking Iran's deepest underground facilities.