Satellite Photos Show Activity at Iran Nuclear Site After US Bombing

NEWSWEEK -Sept 3rd2025

New Satellite photos reveal that Iran has begun removing critical cooling equipment from its Natanz uranium enrichment facility after U.S. airstrikes in late June damaged the site’s power systems and forced operations offline.

The images, posted on X by David Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington think tank, show the relocation of nearly two dozen large chillers once used to regulate centrifuge operations.

Newsweek has reached out the U.S. State Department and Iran’s Foreign Ministry for comment.

Why It Matters

The dispersal of equipment underscores Iran’s immediate effort to shield its nuclear program from further attacks. The U.S. strikes—carried out at the end of the 12-day Iran–Israel war—were hailed by President Donald Trump as a “spectacular military success,” although U.S. intelligence later said the bombing would set back Iran’s program by up to two years, rather than indefinitelyWith Natanz still without external power and centrifuges idle, the relocation of chillers signals Tehran’s determination to preserve enrichment capability, a step that could harden its bargaining position and increase the risk of renewed confrontation across the Middle East.

What To Know

Albright’s satellite imagery showed that 19 of the 24 chillers previously housed in two heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) buildings at Natanz had been moved to locations across the site—including helicopter pads and near water facilities—to make them harder to target.

He wrote: “The removal and dispersal appears to be a tactic to make the chillers less vulnerable to future aerial bombardment.”

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https://www.newsweek.com/satellite-image-iran-nuclear-activity-us-bombing-2123586