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Despite ongoing negotiations with the Trump administration, Iran is reportedly reconstructing nuclear facilities previously damaged by U.S. strikes and gearing up for potential conflict, an influential Iranian opposition leader claims.
Alireza Jafarzadeh, the deputy director of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in Washington, highlighted recently disclosed satellite images indicating that the Iranian regime has intensified efforts to revive its substantial uranium enrichment infrastructure, valued at approximately $2 trillion.
“The regime is evidently accelerating its reconstruction of uranium enrichment capabilities,” Jafarzadeh conveyed to Fox News Digital. “This move signals preparation for a possible conflict as Iran aims to maintain its nuclear weapons program and safeguard it.”
There are signs of reconstruction at Iran’s Isfahan nuclear site.
“The reconstruction of Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities is especially concerning as the regime is currently engaged in nuclear discussions with the United States,” he remarked.
New satellite images released by Earth intelligence monitor Planet Labs show reconstruction activity appears to be underway at the Isfahan complex.
Isfahan is one of three Iranian uranium enrichment plants targeted in the U.S. military operation known as “Midnight Hammer.”
The June 22 operation involved coordinated Air Force and Navy strikes on the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan facilities.
A satellite image shows tunnel entrances covered with soil at Isfahan nuclear complex. (Vantor/Handout via Reuters)
Despite the damage, the satellite images show Iran has buried entrances to a tunnel complex at the site, according to Reuters.
Similar steps were reportedly taken at the Natanz facility, which houses two additional enrichment plants.
“These efforts in Isfahan involve rebuilding its centrifuge program and other activities related to uranium enrichment,” Jafarzadeh said.
The renewed movements come as Iran participated in talks with the U.S. in Geneva.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump warned that “bad things” would happen if Iran did not make a deal.
While the talks were aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, Jafarzadeh argues that for the regime, talks would be nothing more than a tactical delay.
Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “agreed to the nuclear talks as it would give the regime crucial time to avoid or limit the consequences of confrontation with the West,” according to Jafarzadeh. ( Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran via Getty Images)
“Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei agreed to the nuclear talks as it would give the regime crucial time to avoid or limit the consequences of confrontation with the West,” he said.
Jafarzadeh also described the regime spending at least “$2 trillion” on nuclear capabilities, which he said “is higher than the entire oil revenue generated since the regime came to power in Iran in 1979.”
“Tehran is trying to salvage whatever has remained of its nuclear weapons program and quickly rebuild it,” he said. “It has heavily invested in the nuclear weapons program as a key tool for the survival of the regime.”
Satellite imagery taken on January 30, 2026, shows a new roof over a previously destroyed building at the Natanz nuclear site. (2026 PLANET LABS PBC/Handout via Reuters)
Jafarzadeh is best known for publicly revealing the existence of Iran’s Natanz nuclear site in 2002, which led to inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency and intensified global scrutiny of Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
“The insistence of the Iranian regime during the nuclear talks on maintaining its uranium enrichment capabilities, while rebuilding its damaged sites, is a clear indication that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has no plans to abandon its nuclear weapons program,” he said.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran, led by Maryam Rajavi, exposed for the first time the nuclear sites in Natanz, Arak, Fordow and more than 100 other sites and projects, Jafarzadeh said, “despite a massive crackdown by the regime on this movement.”