Satellite images show 50 access points at 18 underground Iran missile facilities being cleared

Amid instense US-Iran talks and renewed tensions, new satellite imagery suggests Iranian crews are already moving bulldozers and dump trucks into damaged underground missile and nuclear-linked sites, rapidly clearing debris and reopening access routes.

The images, as reported by CNN, highlight a stark reality of modern warfare: even after precision strikes and advanced bunker-buster munitions, efforts are ongoing to restore critical infrastructure hit by previous US-Israeli bombings.

The images suggest that 50 access points at 18 underground Iran missile facilities being cleared.

Israeli-US strikes put many of these complexes out of commission by blocking their entry points, trapping a large portion of Iran’s launchers and crippling its ability to fire missiles.

“Now, using just bulldozers and dump trucks, Iran is undoing the effects of a strategy that involved an enormous amount of Israeli-US firepower,” added CNN.

According to the report, since the ceasefire between Iran and the United States began, Iran has cleared at least 50 access points at 18 missile sites.

Airbus satellite images from April 10 showed efforts to remove debris from the blocked entrance to a tunnel at a missile base south of Tabriz, Asharq Al Awsat (English) reported.

At the centre of the diplomatic storm is Iran’s stockpile of roughly 440 kg of uranium enriched to 60% purity — material considered only a short technical step away from weapons-grade enrichment.

Western officials view the stockpile as one of the most significant remaining leverage points in ongoing negotiations, with Washington reportedly demanding its removal, dilution, or international supervision as part of any lasting agreement.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IEA), that quantity — if further enriched — could theoretically provide enough material for multiple nuclear weapons.

What the satellite images show

Satellite imagery analysed by defence experts and media organisations suggests Iran has begun reopening access points to several underground missile and nuclear-related facilities that were damaged, sealed, or blocked during recent US and Israeli strikes.

The effort comes as the diplomatic standoff increasingly centres on two issues: Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and control of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes.

Recent satellite images indicate that Iran has been clearing debris, reopening tunnel entrances, and fortifying underground complexes across multiple military and nuclear sites.

Separate satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters showed Iran reinforcing sensitive sites with concrete shielding, soil cover, and additional fortifications.

Images also indicated work around tunnel entrances connected to nuclear facilities and missile bases previously targeted in military strikes.

Why underground sites matter

Many of Iran’s most sensitive facilities are buried deep underground to protect them from airstrikes.

Among the most closely watched sites are:

• Fordow Uranium Enrichment Plant, a heavily fortified uranium enrichment facility dug into a mountain near Qom.

• Natanz Nuclear Facility, Iran’s primary enrichment complex.

• Underground tunnel networks near Isfahan believed to be linked to uranium conversion and storage activities.

Experts say some facilities may be buried so deeply that even advanced bunker-buster bombs cannot fully destroy them. Instead, strikes may collapse entrances, temporarily trap equipment, or block access routes rather than eliminate underground infrastructure entirely.

Nuclear issue: Heart of the storm

At the centre of ongoing high-stakes US-Iran negotiations sits Iran’s remaining ~440kg stockpile of 60% enriched uranium — material just a short technical step from weapons-grade.

This near-half-tonne cache remains one of the biggest sticking points in talks aimed at ending the conflict and stabilising the region.

While Washington pushes for its removal or dilution, Tehran is reportedly debating a strategic pivot: whether control of the Strait of Hormuz — the world’s most critical oil chokepoint carrying ~20% of global supply — can serve as a more reliable deterrent than its nuclear program, according to Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

But Tehran’s strategic calculus may be evolving.

Hormuz as leverage

Beyond its nuclear programme, Iranian policymakers are increasingly aware of another powerful source of leverage: the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow maritime chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply and a significant share of global LNG shipments pass every day.

Any disruption there would send immediate shockwaves through energy markets and global trade.

The emerging question is whether Iran ultimately sees control over one of the world’s most vital energy corridors as a more durable deterrent than its nuclear stockpile.

As negotiations continue, the battle may no longer be defined solely by centrifuges and enrichment levels — but by the intersection of underground facilities, strategic geography, and the global economy itself.