Media: Iran boosts security around secret nuclear tunnels

Iran has significantly enhanced security around two underground tunnel complexes linked to its main nuclear facility, as tensions rise between Tehran, the US, and Israel, according to a report from the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS).

Satellite imagery indicates the installation of a vast security perimeter around the tunnels, which have been under construction for several years beneath Mt. Kolang Gaz La, Caliber.Az reports citing Al Arabiya.

This development comes as the US and Iran prepare for a third round of talks this weekend aimed at possibly restoring restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme. The US, led by President Donald Trump, has threatened military action against Iran unless a deal is swiftly concluded to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear agreement has prompted Iran to breach many of its commitments, heightening fears in the West that Iran is working toward acquiring nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran denies.

David Albright, president of ISIS, stated that the new perimeter around the tunnel complexes indicates they could soon be operational. Tehran has refused to grant UN nuclear inspectors access to these sites, prompting concerns that they could be used to house Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium or undeclared nuclear materials.

These tunnels are being built at depths far greater than Iran's Fordow uranium enrichment facility, located near the city of Qom. Images from March 29 show fortified entrances and the ongoing construction of high walls and panels surrounding the complexes. The north side of the perimeter connects with the security ring surrounding the Natanz nuclear plant.

Iran has insisted that its nuclear activities are peaceful, rejecting any demands for the complete dismantling of its programme. Israel has not ruled out military action to halt Tehran's nuclear ambitions, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasising that any negotiations must lead to Iran’s full nuclear disarmament.

Iran’s nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, addressed the concerns surrounding the security of the country’s nuclear programme, stating that efforts to expand protective measures at facilities like the new tunnel complexes are ongoing.

By Aghakazim Guliyev