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Think tank report identifies intact bunkered facility at Iran's Natanz nuclear complex

A Washington report says an underground storage structure survived recent U.S. and Israeli military strikes, drawing contrasting responses from officials.

Updated Aug 31, 2026 · 21:21 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • A report by the Institute for Science and International Security states that a partially subterranean bunkered structure at Iran's Natanz site was not targeted during U.S. and Israeli strikes in 2025 and 2026.
  • The facility was built between 2010 and 2017 to store uranium hexafluoride in support of large-scale enrichment.
  • The White House maintained that Iran's nuclear facilities were obliterated, while the IAEA confirmed the building was well known and regularly inspected before mid-2025.

Key facts

  • The Institute for Science and International Security identified a partially underground bunkered facility at the Natanz Nuclear Complex constructed mainly between 2015 and 2017.[Fox News]
  • The institute reported that the structure appears to have been missed or untargeted in 2025 and 2026 U.S. and Israeli military strikes, with no vehicle activity detected on satellite images since June 2025.[Fox News]
  • An IAEA spokesperson stated the building was previously well known to the agency and inspected regularly prior to mid-2025.[Fox News]
  • White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly disputed claims of surviving nuclear infrastructure, asserting that Iranian nuclear facilities were totally obliterated during Operation Midnight Hammer.[Fox News]

What remains uncertain

  • The current operational status of the bunkered structure and whether any active uranium enrichment materials or equipment remain inside are unknown due to lack of recent inspection access.[Fox News]
  • Disagreement exists between independent analysts and the U.S. White House regarding whether all Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed during previous military operations.[Fox News]

Sources