New satellite visuals have revealed work is continuing at the Fordow nuclear site of Iran, which was struck by the United States military last week with B-2 Stealth bombers, a CNN report stated. President Donald Trump had claimed that US strikes had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s three nuclear sites.
The satellite images were released by Maxar Technologies on Sunday and they contradict the claims made by the Trump administration. “The images reveal ongoing activity at and near the ventilation shafts and holes caused by last week’s airstrikes on the Fordow fuel enrichment complex,” said Maxar.
This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows a close view of the Isfahan nuclear technology in Iran before US strikes. (Maxar Technologies via AP)
What did Satellite images reveal
The images by Maxar detailed that activities had started at Fordow nuclear plant and an excavator and several personnel were seen positioned next to the northern shaft on the bridge which is above the ground complex. A crane is seen in the satellite images operating at the entrance of the shaft.
Maxar Technologies stated that multiple vehicles were also visible in the images below the ridge and are parked along the path which was built to access the nuclear plant.
US strike on Iran’s nuclear site
The United States launched “Operation Midnight Hammer” on June 22 which involved 125 aircrafts, including B-2 Stealth bombers and targeted Iran’s three nuclear facilities: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. The US military dropped more than a dozen bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites, while the US submarine hit Isfahan site in central Iran with Tomahawk missiles.
A statement by Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs targeted the two ventilation shafts at Fordow. At a Pentagon press briefing, Caine said “most of the bombs dropped at Fordow were tasked to enter the main shaft, move down into the complex at greater than 1,000 feet per second, and explode in the mission space.”
President Trump, while addressing the nation regarding the US strike on Tehran, had said “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”
(with inputs from CNN)
