Iran moving its nuclear reactors to underground tunnels for fear of attacks

Islam Mohamed

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corpse has moved some of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear reactors to underground tunnels on the border between Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.

This comes after Iran’s mullahs failed in protecting the country’s nuclear power facilities.

Khamenei deciding

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued the decision for moving the reactors to the underground tunnels, Iranian media said.

It added that Khamenei also issued directives for tightening security around Iran’s nuclear scientists. The supreme leader also instructed the relocation of the scientists and their families to a remote mountainous area together with their families. In this area, they are guarded by special Revolutionary Guard units, the Iranian media said.

Sources said, meanwhile, that the Iranian nuclear power program was moved underground during the past two months.

Satellite images document the relocation of the nuclear program.

Some sources also revealed that a major part of the Iranian missile program was moved to underground facilities, whereas some rocket launchers were moved to a mountainous area western Iran.

An underground tunnel was also dug near the southern city of Sarpol Zahab with the aim of hiding 100 surface-to-surface missiles in it. The tunnel is the closest launching location if Iran decides to attack American targets in either Iraq or Syria.

Underground

Satellite images have recently shown construction activities in an underground location near the area that was bombed in Iran in July of last year. Iran described the bombing as an action of sabotage.

Iran’s mission at the United Nations did not respond to requests for comment on the reasons behind the construction of the underground location featured in the satellite images.

The site is close to the holy city of Qom, around 90 kilometers southwest of Iranian capital Tehran, according to the Associated Press.