By Micah Jonah, February 19, 2026
Fresh satellite imagery has revealed that Iran has constructed a reinforced concrete covering over a facility at its sensitive Parchin military complex, in what analysts describe as a move to protect the site from potential aerial strikes amid escalating tensions with the United States.
Images reviewed by independent analysts show extensive fortification work at the Parchin military complex, located about 30 kilometres southeast of Tehran. The development follows reported Israeli strikes on the facility in October 2024 during a brief but intense 12-day conflict involving Israel and Iran, which later drew in the US.
The new structure, described by experts as resembling a “concrete sarcophagus,” appears to shield what is believed to be a rebuilt installation at a section of the site identified as Taleghan 2. Analysts at the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) said the construction suggests Iran is seeking to harden the facility against further bombardment.
Iran has consistently denied pursuing nuclear weapons, maintaining that its nuclear programme is strictly for civilian purposes. Neither US intelligence agencies nor the United Nations nuclear watchdog reported evidence last year that Tehran was actively building a nuclear bomb.
Additional satellite imagery indicates that Iran has also buried tunnel entrances at its Isfahan nuclear complex, one of the uranium enrichment facilities previously targeted during the conflict. Analysts say fortifications have likewise been reinforced near Natanz, another key enrichment site.
The developments come as diplomatic negotiations between Tehran and Washington continue, even as both sides ramp up military posturing. Talks held earlier this month in Geneva reportedly yielded agreement on broad guiding principles, though significant differences remain over issues such as Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its regional alliances.
United States President, Donald Trump has repeatedly warned of potential military action should negotiations collapse. The US has deployed additional naval assets to the region, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, positioned in waters within striking distance of Iran.
Meanwhile, Iran’s elite force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has conducted war games in the Strait of Hormuz and announced joint naval drills with Russia in the Sea of Oman, signalling its readiness to counter what it terms external threats.
Regional concerns over escalation have intensified, with some governments urging their citizens to leave Iran amid fears of a broader confrontation.
Observers say the fortification of the Parchin site underscores the fragile balance between diplomacy and deterrence, as both Tehran and Washington pursue negotiations while preparing for possible conflict.
