Research Group: Iran Sanitizing Site After Israeli Strikes to Hide Nuclear Work

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iran has launched a rapid clean-up operation at a nuclear-related facility in northern Tehran targeted by Israeli airstrikes in June, in what experts warn may be an attempt to eliminate evidence of nuclear weapons development work, Reuters reported Wednesday.

According to a report by the Institute for Science and International Security, an independent research group led by former U.N. nuclear inspector David Albright, satellite images reveal “a significant effort by Iran to rapidly demolish damaged or destroyed buildings, likely to sanitize any incriminating nuclear weapons research and development activities.”

Iran’s embassy to the United Nations did not immediately comment on the findings. Tehran has long denied pursuing nuclear weapons, insisting its nuclear program serves only peaceful purposes.

The revelations come as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) continues talks in Tehran aimed at resuming inspections suspended following the June 13–24 war between Israel and Iran and the June 22 U.S. strikes on Iran’s three main nuclear facilities.

Rafael Grossi, IAEA Director General, said after a visit to Washington this week that Iran is legally obligated to allow inspections to resume “as soon as possible.” He emphasized the agency’s intention to inspect all relevant sites, including the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan facilities, which were hit in recent U.S. strikes, and to verify Iran’s stockpile of over 400 kilograms of uranium enriched close to weapons-grade purity.

Meanwhile, Britain, France, and Germany are preparing to begin re-imposing U.N. sanctions on Iran as early as Thursday, citing Tehran’s breaches of the 2015 nuclear deal designed to curb its weapons capability, diplomats told Reuters.

Mojdeh Site Strikes

The Mojdeh site, also known as Lavisan II and located next to Malek Ashtar University, was bombed twice by Israel on June 18 as part of a broader operation targeting hundreds of sites across Iran, the Institute's report said. The IAEA has previously linked Mojdeh to the AMAD Plan, a nuclear weapons program U.S. and international intelligence agencies say ended in 2003.

The first Israeli strike damaged several buildings, including one tied to the Institute of Applied Physics and another believed to be connected to the Shahid Karimi Group, sanctioned by Washington for missile and explosives-related projects. The second strike destroyed the Institute of Applied Physics building, heavily damaged a security facility, and leveled a workshop, according to satellite imagery analyzed by ISIS.

Subsequent images from July and August showed Iranian crews clearing debris and fully razing damaged buildings, including the Applied Physics facility and the suspected Shahid Karimi site. “The rapid work by Iran to quickly demolish and clear the rubble of these important buildings appears to be an effort to sanitize the site and limit the availability of any possible future inspection from obtaining evidence of nuclear weapons-related work," the report concluded.

The clean-up operation at the Mojdeh site comes against the backdrop of tense nuclear diplomacy. On Tuesday, Iran held high-stakes talks with Britain, France, and Germany in Geneva in a last-ditch effort to avert the possible re-imposition of sweeping U.N. sanctions under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi urged the European powers to “make the right choice and give diplomacy time and space,” while Tehran’s foreign ministry said both sides agreed to keep contacts open in the coming days.

The European trio, however, has threatened to trigger the deal’s “snapback mechanism” before the end of August, a move that would restore U.N. sanctions unless Iran reverses its nuclear advances and resumes full cooperation with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors.

The nuclear deal, already under severe strain, has faced further setbacks amid regional turmoil. The June 12-day war between Iran and Israel disrupted Tehran’s nuclear talks with Washington and led Iran to suspend cooperation with the IAEA.

Tehran has warned that Europe has “no legal or moral grounds” to revive sanctions, accusing Western powers of turning the issue into psychological warfare. With the October deadline looming, when U.N. sanctions would otherwise be permanently lifted, the coming weeks are expected to be decisive in determining whether the deal can be salvaged or collapses under mounting pressure.