Iran is perturbed that Israel targeted an allegedly mothballed base “previously linked to Iran’s nuclear program.” Satellite images confirm “damage to a number of military sites in Iran from Israeli air strikes.” That seems to indicate it was more active than the Ayatollah wants to admit.
Nuclear program targeted
A structure designated as Taleghan 2 was once linked to Iran’s nuclear ambitions by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Israel isn’t talking but the BBC saw some satellite images which verify which targets were hit.
That was one of them. The airstrike conducted Saturday, October 26, involved “sites experts say were used for missile production and air defense.”
The before and after photos clearly show craters where various buildings used to stand at “a major weapons development and production facility at Parchin.” That’s conveniently located about 18 miles from Tehran.
It’s been identified as part of Iran’s rocket production industry. Clues indicate the sort intended to carry nuclear warheads. Experts from the International Institute for Strategic Studies seem to think so.
Analysts with high powered magnifiers compared “high-resolution satellite imagery taken on 9 September with an image captured on 27 October.” Four structures on the site “have been significantly damaged.” Maybe more.
One of them is the infamous Taleghan 2. International nuclear inspectors were real suspicious of the place back when Barack Obama and John Kerry were flying pallets loaded with cash to Iran.
Evidence of Uranium
When the International Atomic Energy Agency popped in for a visit, they didn’t find any actual uranium. All traces of atomic research or weapons production had been carefully sanitized. Not carefully enough to fool the Geiger counter though.
“In 2016 the IAEA found evidence of uranium particles at the site, raising questions about banned nuclear activity there.” They couldn’t prove it but were convinced something shady was going on at the location.
Israel apparently thinks it was back in production. While they were in the neighborhood, IDF dropped a few bombs at Khojir, just a hair to the northwest of Parchin.
According to Fabian Hinz with the IISS, “Khojir is known as the area with the highest concentration of ballistic missile-related infrastructure within Iran.” They won’t be building any nuclear tipped ICBMs for a while.
Coincidentally, Khojir was also “the site of a mysterious large explosion in 2020.” The images confirm “at least two buildings in the complex appear to have been severely damaged.” Besides that, the Israelis hit “a military site at Shahroud.”
That one “has also sustained damage.” While not directly nuclear related, “this area is significant because it’s been involved in the production of long-range missile components.” Nobody wants the Ayatollah to have the ability to put any kind of warhead on a long-range missile.
