New construction activity, which began before the June 12-Day War and continued afterwards, has been occurring at the former Taleghan 2 site, which was destroyed by an Israeli bombing on October 25th, 2024.[1] Starting around mid-May, efforts were made to rebuild the structure destroyed in the October 2024 attack. Satellite imagery from May 20, 2025, shows a black temporary cover that had been hastily installed over the destroyed building (see Figure 1). By June 12, 2025, imagery shows ground preparations and the laying of foundations in front of the temporary reconstructed cover building (see Figure 2). The site was not bombed during the 12-Day War.
By August 30, 2025, a new large arch-roofed structure (~45 by 17 meters) is under construction over the temporary structure that now covers the area of the former Taleghan-2 building (see Figure 3). Two smaller arch roofed structures (~20 meters by 7 meters) have also been constructed above the foundation previously laid on either side and in front of that larger one. Imagery from September 27, 2025, shows that a third arched structure had been added and that the other arched structures had progressed modestly (see Figure 4). . Additionally, the layout of the two smaller side buildings appears to be designed in such a way that if bunkered over with earth, they each include a blast mitigation feature known as a "blast trap" at the back of each building. It appears that Iran has also added some kind of support facility for this new Taleghan-2 facility located 200 meters away along the eastern perimeter road (East of the Taleghan 1 building). Construction of this probable support facility was first noted in May 2025 (see Figure 5). Construction is still ongoing.
The purpose of the new construction at this location cannot be discerned from the imagery, a multitude of other non-nuclear purposes are also possible. However, it is deeply concerning that construction is occurring at a former AMAD plan nuclear weapons development site, raising considerable questions as to the true purpose of the facilities there. Although there is no current evidence to support any nuclear weapons related purpose, an effort should be made to discern if this is an attempt by Iran to build a facility to reconstitute either the nuclear weapons related high explosive test chamber facilities that were originally part of the AMAD program, or the more recently reported PETN plastic explosive manufacturing capability that would have been a key part of Iran's nuclear weapons efforts. The larger building might serve as the location for the renewal of either such activities with the two smaller buildings being for the purposes of test/manufacturing control and test/manufacturing diagnostics. More information is needed to make an accurate assessment.
Given the arch roof design of the structures, there is the likelihood that they may yet all be earth covered, to bunker them, thereby enhancing survivability in the event of a future bombing attack. If that is the case, then the two smaller structures may just serve as entrance buildings being offset from the main building and connected with it via the third smaller intermediate middle structure such that they would serve to mitigate blasts resulting from any such future aerial attacks. The Institute will continue to monitor and report on any notable visible changes at this site.
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