IAEA's Grossi says Iranian Pickaxe Mountain seeing new construction activity - report

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi confirmed satellite imagery shows new construction at Iran's fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility near Natanz. The IAEA has not inspected the site. The report follows a CNN publication of images and analysis from CSIS, and comes after President Trump threatened strikes against the site, with the US developing a new bunker-buster munition.

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi confirmed in a Bloomberg Television interview that satellite imagery has detected new construction activity at Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility, a fortified underground site south of the Natanz uranium-enrichment plant. Grossi stated the IAEA has not yet inspected the site. The confirmation follows a CNN report that published images of the activity, citing CSIS analysts who noted the work has shifted from excavation to internal construction and exterior reinforcement, though the site is not yet capable of enrichment. The development comes after US President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to order strikes against the site, with the US military developing a new bunker-buster munition to target deeply buried facilities. CNN reported a prototype contract for the new munition was awarded in September 2025.