The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has confirmed the detection of new activity at the heavily fortified 'Axe Mountain' site near Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility.
In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Grossi stated that remote sensing images showed movements around the construction site, although IAEA inspectors have not been able to access the tunnel complex.
The site, located near the Natanz nuclear facility, is attracting increased attention due to the deep and fortified nature of its underground installations, leading to questions about the activities taking place inside.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump had previously indicated the possibility of targeting 'Axe Mountain' amid U.S. concerns about the activities within Iran's fortified nuclear installations.
Grossi's remarks come at a time of rising tensions between Tehran and the IAEA regarding inspection and oversight of Iran's nuclear program.
According to diplomats and United Nations documents reviewed by CNN, Iran faces criticism concerning its commitments under the nuclear safeguards system, amid accusations of obstructing some monitoring and inspection activities.
Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes, while the IAEA demands the ability to verify the nature of Iran's nuclear activities.