Satellite images show that four new buildings have gone up at Iran's Parchin military complex, where explosives experiments related to nuclear weapons were conducted in the early 2000s.
The structures are surrounded by steep walls made of compacted earth to deflect explosions, intelligence consultancy group The Intel Lab said.
Military grade explosives are manufactured and tested at Parchin, which is about 30 kilometres south-east of Tehran, but analysts linked the site to other activities.
“Parchin complex is involved in research and development, the production of chemical weapons, laser technology for uranium enrichment, as well as high-explosive testing for nuclear weapons,” The Intel Lab said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last visited Parchin in 2015 as part of its investigation into Iran's nuclear activities under the terms of a deal with world powers that was intended to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief.
Former US president Donald Trump withdrew from the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018, but the Biden administration is seeking a return to it under new conditions.
In 2015, Iran told the inspectors that Parchin was used to store chemicals, a claim disproven by IAEA analysis of samples from the site.
The IAEA was unable to find hard evidence of nuclear activity, although two weak traces of man-made uranium were found.
It concluded that there were “no credible indications of activities in Iran relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device after 2009” and no “credible indications of the diversion of nuclear material in connection with the possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear programme”.
Recent satellite imagery showed major refurbishments at the complex, leading some experts to suggest that Iran has tried to cover up evidence of nuclear activity.
In June, plumes of orange smoke were seen after an explosion at Iran's Khojir missile production plant, near Parchin, caused a blackout.
Iranian officials released images of a gas tank with a hole in it as evidence that a leak caused the explosion.
But satellite imagery showed extensive damage to the site, making a gas leak an unlikely explanation, and analysts are yet to reach a consensus on the cause of the explosion.
Iran on Friday announced that it had successfully increased uranium enrichment at its Natanz site to 60 per cent, at odds with its commitments under the JCPOA - which Iran said became a void deal after the US withdrawal in 2018.
Iran's compliance with the deal is a prerequisite for the US returning to it and lifting Trump-era sanctions that damage Iran's economy, US President Joe Biden said.
Iran said it would easily reverse nuclear enrichment escalations.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Pakistan World Cup squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez(subject to fitness), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain
Two additions for England ODIs: Mohammad Amir and Asif Ali
Stage results
1. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep 4:39:05
2. Michael Matthews (AUS) Team BikeExchange 0:00:08
3. Primoz Roglic (SLV) Jumbo-Visma same time
4. Jack Haig (AUS) Bahrain Victorious s.t
5. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Bora-Hansgrohe s.t
6. Tadej Pogacar (SLV) UAE Team Emirates s.t
7. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ s.t
8. Sergio Higuita Garcia (COL) EF Education-Nippo s.t
9. Bauke Mollema (NED) Trek-Segafredo s.t
10. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers s.t
Tuesday results:
- Singapore bt Malaysia by 29 runs
- UAE bt Oman by 13 runs
- Hong Kong bt Nepal by 3 wickets
Final:
Thursday, UAE v Hong Kong
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
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INDIA SQUADS
India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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PROFILE BOX
Company name: Overwrite.ai
Founder: Ayman Alashkar
Started: Established in 2020
Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai
Sector: PropTech
Initial investment: Self-funded by founder
Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed PDK
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 820Nm
Price: Dh683,200
On sale: now
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now