Commercial Satellite Photos Reveal Tunneling Near Iran Nuke Site

July 11, 2007 World Tribune.com Special to World Tribune

Iran has been constructing a tunnel near a major nuclear facility. A U.S. research group reported that Iran was constructing a tunnel inside a mountain near a uranium enrichment facility. The group said the tunnel could be designed to conceal nuclear activity or anti-aircraft batteries. "The construction activity is taking place in the closest mountainous area to the Natanz site, strongly suggesting that the site is affiliated with Natanz," the Institute for Science and International Security said. The analysis, authored by David Albright and Paul Brannan, was based on commercial satellite imagery taken of Iran on June 11. The institute said the tunnel was being constructed near Natanz, where Iran has sought to assemble up to 60,000 gas centrifuges for an industrial uranium enrichment project. Natanz was said to currently contain more than 2,000 centrifuges. The satellite imagery, taken by the U.S. firm DigitalGlobe, does not show the entrances to the tunnel. But the images show two roads under construction, one of which leads to the tunnel. "Iran may be constructing a similar facility near Natanz, fearing that the underground halls at Natanz are vulnerable to destruction by military attack," the institute said. "A tunnel facility inside a mountain would offer excellent protection from an aerial attack." The tunnel could also contain military assets such as air defense batteries to protect Natanz, the institute said. The report said the tunnel was not seen in images taken by DigitalGlobe in January 2007. Iran has been building another tunnel near the nuclear research center at Isfahan. The project was said to have begun in 2004. The International Atomic Energy Agency has been monitoring construction near Iranian nuclear sites. But IAEA director-general Mohammed El Baradei has asserted that Iran was slowing down uranium enrichment. "We have seen a fairly slow development in commissioning new cascades," El Baradei said on July 9.