Iran has begun swiftly demolishing and sanitizing a nuclear-linked site in northern Tehran hit by Israeli airstrikes in June, according to a Washington-based research group. The Institute for Science and International Security said satellite images reveal a “significant effort” to clear away debris from damaged buildings at the Mojdeh complex, a site long associated with weapons research. “The rapid work by Iran … appears to be an effort to sanitize the site and limit the availability of any possible future inspection,” the group stated.

Mojdeh Site Under Scrutiny

The Mojdeh site, also known as Lavisan II, sits next to Malek Ashtar University and has been linked by the IAEA to the AMAD Plan, Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons development program halted in 2003. U.S. intelligence and the IAEA have both described the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research — which inherited parts of the AMAD Plan — as tied to Mojdeh. The Israeli strikes in June destroyed several key buildings, including the Institute of Applied Physics and a workshop connected to the Shahid Karimi Group, sanctioned for missile and explosives work.

International Tensions Rise

The demolition is unfolding as the U.N. nuclear watchdog negotiates renewed inspections after the Israel-Iran war and U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi insisted inspections must resume “as soon as possible” and cover all main sites, including Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, alongside verification of Iran’s stockpile of 400 kilograms of uranium enriched close to weapons grade.

Meanwhile, Britain, France and Germany are preparing to trigger the snapback of U.N. sanctions under the 2015 nuclear deal framework, citing Iranian violations. Tehran has denied seeking nuclear weapons and claims its program is peaceful, while its U.N. mission did not comment on the latest report.

Why It Matters

The Mojdeh clean-up underscores both the risks of military strikes removing — but also obscuring — evidence of possible weapons work, and the urgency facing inspectors seeking transparency. Analysts warn that sanitization could complicate future verification efforts, deepening mistrust between Iran and Western powers at a moment when diplomacy is already fragile.