Israel Informs US of Iran Moving Thousands of Centrifuges to Secret Natanz Site

Israel has informed the United States that Iran has transferred thousands of centrifuges to a secret underground facility at Mount Makoush near Natanz, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal on July 21, 2026. The site, buried up to 600 meters deep in granite rock, has never been inspected by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors, as Iran has not declared it as a uranium enrichment facility. Western intelligence suspects the site is used for uranium enrichment, while Iran claims it is for manufacturing and assembling centrifuges.

The intelligence was reportedly shared following Israel's Operation 'With the Lion' in June of the previous year, which targeted Iran's three main nuclear sites. Mount Makoush is considered one of the most secretive and challenging locations in Iran's nuclear program, deeper than the Fordow enrichment plant and difficult to strike from the air.

Recent satellite images show ongoing activity near tunnel entrances at the site, despite previous US and Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. US President Donald Trump recently threatened that Mount Makoush could be targeted in a US strike, describing it as a "possible target for one big, beautiful, fat hit right on the front door." He emphasized that the US is closely monitoring developments at the site.

Iran has maintained since 2021 that the facility is for centrifuge production and assembly, but Western officials remain concerned about undeclared nuclear activities there. The revelation underscores ongoing tensions and the precarious nature of Iran's nuclear program amid international scrutiny and potential military actions.