Iran Moves Centrifuges to a Deeply Buried Facility Inside a Fortified Mountain
The Wall Street Journal reports that Israel informed Washington that the transfer of the centrifuges most likely took place last autumn, several months after the military confrontation that erupted in June 2025.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing U.S. and Israeli officials, that Iran had moved thousands of centrifuges used for uranium enrichment to a fortified facility inside Mount Pikaks. The move reportedly reflects Tehran’s efforts to strengthen the protection of its nuclear program, as the issue remains one of the main points of disagreement preventing the conclusion of a final understanding with the United States, alongside disputes related to navigation arrangements and the management of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the newspaper, assessments by Israeli intelligence agencies indicate that the nuclear equipment was moved into a network of deep tunnels inside the mountain, making it more difficult to target through airstrikes than previously known sites. This would enhance Tehran’s ability to preserve its nuclear infrastructure in the event of further attacks.
The information cited by the newspaper indicates that Israel informed Washington that the transfer of the centrifuges most likely took place during the autumn of last year, several months after the military confrontation that erupted in June 2025, when Iranian nuclear facilities were struck by U.S. and Israeli forces. The attacks targeted underground sites using strategic bombers.
Security circles believe that the move forms part of an Iranian strategy to redistribute sensitive nuclear assets to more heavily fortified locations, thereby reducing the effectiveness of any future attack and giving the nuclear program a greater capacity to continue operating even in the event of large-scale strikes.
The disclosure of these movements comes days after U.S. President Donald Trump hinted at the possibility of targeting Mount Pikaks, as part of warnings issued to Tehran amid continuing tensions between the two sides. The development has heightened concerns that the nuclear issue could enter a new phase of escalation.
Satellite imagery reviewed by U.S. media outlets also showed significant activity involving trucks and engineering equipment around the site. Observers have interpreted this activity as an indication that development and fortification work is continuing at the complex located beneath the mountain.
According to the newspaper, the new facility is located more than one hundred yards deep inside the rock, making it deeper than the Fordow facility. This depth would provide greater protection against conventional bunker-busting bombs and reflects the scale of the engineering investments Iran has deployed to secure its nuclear facilities.
Iran’s nuclear program remains the most complex obstacle in negotiations between Washington and Tehran. The draft memorandum of understanding reportedly calls for long-term restrictions on enrichment activities in exchange for the gradual lifting of economic sanctions. The proposals also address mechanisms for enhanced international monitoring and the management of Iran’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, while recognizing Iran’s right to develop a peaceful nuclear program subject to ongoing verification procedures.
Analysts believe that any progress on this issue will determine the fate of the remaining provisions of the proposed understanding, including sanctions as well as regional and security arrangements. At the same time, the continued dispute over Iran’s nuclear capabilities keeps the possibility of military escalation alive, despite the ongoing diplomatic contacts between the two sides.
