Iran’s underground missile base in an undisclosed location Photo: AFP
Iran is actively reinforcing deeply buried nuclear facilities, making them potentially inaccessible to conventional strikes, Reuters reports, citing Western intelligence. New defensive engineering works in the Zagros Mountains are a signal that Tehran is preparing for a direct military escalation scenario.
This is happening in parallel with non-public talks between Iran and the United States, which, despite the tension after the attack on Israel, have not been completely curtailed. US officials are trying to avoid a new nuclear crisis, but analysts warn: Tehran is playing to raise the stakes to strengthen its bargaining position.
One of the goals is to obtain the West’s “tacit consent” to further uranium enrichment in exchange for restraint against regional attacks.
Global context: If diplomacy fails completely, Israel may consider a preemptive strike. The United States is at a crossroads between the security of its allies and the risk of a major war in the Middle East.
