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Ulviyya Poladova

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Iran transferred thousands of centrifuges used for uranium enrichment to tunnels deep beneath Mount Pikaks last autumn, AzerNEWS reports, citing The Wall Street Journal.

According to the information, the centrifuges were relocated to the underground facility following the 12-day conflict in June 2025, during which three of Iran's largest nuclear sites were struck.

Mount Pikaks has long been monitored by the United States and Israel. The underground complex, located near one of Iran's key nuclear facilities, was commissioned to replace a centrifuge assembly plant that suffered extensive damage in an explosion in 2020.

The Institute for Science and International Security, a think tank specializing in nuclear weapons and non-proliferation, said the site has undergone extensive upgrades over the past 15 months. These include increased truck activity, tunnel reinforcement, and the construction of a security perimeter.

The institute also reported that Iran has been working to restore an older tunnel network, originally built in 2007 and later sealed off, further fueling concerns about the country's nuclear infrastructure.

Tehran claimed that the site is intended solely as a factory for the production and assembly of advanced centrifuges, not as an active enrichment facility.

Image: Tehran Times