Andie Parry, Ben Schmida, Katherine Wells, and Brian Carter

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Iran has built new access roads and flattened earth near impact points at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), likely as part of Iran’s efforts to assess the damage at the facility. Commercially available satellite imagery captured on July 8 and July 13 showed Iran has built additional access roads and flattened earth near the northern and southern impact points at Fordow. Iran has also covered all the impact craters caused by the US GBU-57 Bunker Buster bombs with soil, though it is unclear if the impact craters are all filled in. An expert on Iran’s nuclear program assessed on July 1 that Iran had gained access to the eastern tunnel entrance, but it remains unclear whether Iranian personnel could enter the tunnel itself. The expert also assessed that Iran had cleared access to the northern and southern impact points, temporarily covered bombed ventilation shafts, and prepared the site for future repairs or reconstruction of underground infrastructure. The expert also assessed that recovery operations for any salvageable equipment or material would follow the damage assessment. The ventilation shafts at Fordow must be repaired or rebuilt to resume enrichment operations at the site, though the extent of the underground damage to the facility will also determine whether resuming operations is viable.

Key Takeaways:

• Iranian Nuclear Program: Iran has built new access roads and flattened earth near impact points at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), likely as part of Iran’s efforts to assess the damage at the facility.

• Iran Nuclear Negotiations: Iranian moderates who support nuclear negotiations with the United States appear to be prevailing over Iranian hardliners who have rejected negotiations in recent days. Iran’s requirements in negotiations do not appear to be consistent with US demands, however. The Iranian regime also defines enriching uranium as a right, which stalled negotiations prior to the Israeli strikes that began on June 12.



• Iranian Nuclear Inspections: Iran will cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) despite recent restrictions imposed by the Iranian parliament, but is unlikely to allow inspections of bombed nuclear sites, citing safety and security concerns.

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