[Hot Air] Curious indeed. Didn't John Kerry assure us that Tehran had negotiated the nuclear-technology agreement in reasonably good faith? Stratfor's analysis of satellite imagery of the Parchin site, which was a hub of activity for Iran's development of nuclear weapons, has had a facelift of sorts in recent months. And there appears to be a new tunnel leading to .... what, exactly? A hydroponic farm?
Satellite imagery provided by our partners at AllSource Analysis gives a clear picture of the dual nature of Iran's approach to its nuclear program throughout its negotiations with the West. The pictures of the Parchin Military Complex, taken in July 2010 and January 2016, respectively, show how Tehran removed potentially incriminating traces of activity at the site while talks were ongoing. It also constructed an underground facility within the complex, where research and weapons development could be concealed. ...
Based on the images, it is clear that Iran began making an effort to scrub the site clean in 2012, as talks with the West began to show more potential. It removed layers of soil and foliage that could have contained evidence of its previous activities well before inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived in September 2015, and covered large areas with concrete. Tehran also insisted that Iranian personnel, rather than IAEA experts, collect the test samples required for the inspection. However, the IAEA insists that this process was subject to rigid oversight, and the organization found no incriminating evidence against Iran during its visit to Parchin, though this was likely in part due to the recent renovations and the lack of equipment left in the high explosives test building. |