Over the weekend, the New York Times reported on Iran’s access to 20 % and 60 % enriched uranium stocks inside the Esfahan tunnel complex, citing that, “officials familiar with the intelligence said that Iran can now get to the uranium through a very narrow access point.”
[1] The New York Times attached an annotated image to the report of a location near the three known Esfahan tunnel entrances, which were backfilled by Iran in the days before the February strikes. The coordinates for this location are 32.5874831, 51.7964410. It is not clear how the Times identified the alleged access point. Our assessment of the location in satellite imagery does not support it providing an underground connection to the tunnel complex that re
portedly holds about half of the HEU in Iran's possession.
First, this site is likely an ancient design water access ramp, similar to a qanat, which has existed at the site since at least 2002 (see Figure 1). Second, while activity, including backfilling and earth removal has been visible at various times beginning in mid-2021, this site is about 1.7 kilometers air distance from the Esfahan tunnel entrances on the other side of a granite mountain and a half kilometer from the mountain's base (see Figure 2). If it were a tunnel, then it is unclear where all the accumulated granite spoil is from the excavation of such a long "tunnel,” and when did the excavation happen? Other issues exist, such as there is no reinforcement of the access point to prevent collapse or to support any internal roof, there is no actual road connecting the access point to the dirt path leading to it, and Google Earth imagery from 2022 shows a flat wall where a tunnel portal should be (see Figure 3). There is also no obvious physical security at this site. Imagery from March 9, 2026, does not show any significant changes that would indicate the construction of a tunnel entrance.
