Iran has evacuated and scattered cooling systems (chillers) that were installed at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, a step that may suggest it is preparing for the possibility of a renewed attack on the site that was bombed by Israel and the US during the war. The disclosure was made on Monday by American nuclear expert and president of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) David Albright, who promised to publish the images shortly.
New satellite imagery of the Natanz enrichment plant shows that Iran has in last week removed and dispersed nearly all of the “chillers” from the two HVAC buildings at the Fuel Enrichment Plant at Natanz,” Albright wrote in a post on X.
New satellite imagery of the Natanz enrichment plant shows that Iran has in last week removed and dispersed nearly all of the “chillers” from the two HVAC buildings at the Fuel Enrichment Plant at Natanz. The 24 chillers in total are being dispersed throughout the inside of the…
— David Albright (@DAVIDHALBRIGHT1) September 1, 2025
Albright, one of the leading experts on the Iranian nuclear issue, explained that the Iranians are utilizing the interim period when the facility is not operational. “The purpose of this removal and dispersal being that they are of high value, and since there is no electric power due to the Israeli bombings, and the centrifuges are currently inoperable, this is a tactic to make the chillers less vulnerable to future aerial bombardment in the interim.”
He stated that some of the chillers were positioned on helicopter landing pads, others were relocated to the water purification facility area, and the remainder were scattered in various places throughout the complex. This, in light of the fact that the US exploited the ventilation systems of the Fordo nuclear site in its effort to compromise the underground enrichment halls beneath the mountain when it bombed the site with B-2 aircraft.
New vehicle tracks and dirt piles over underground centrifuge buildings at Natanz enrichment facility, southeast of Tehran after airstrikes on June 15, 2025 (AFP PHOTO / © 2025 PLANET LABS PBC)
Natanz, situated approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Tehran, formed the core of the Iranian nuclear program with around 18,000 centrifuges. The Israeli and American strikes inflicted severe damage on the facility. The International Atomic Energy Agency assessed at the war’s outset that the impact on the surface facilities disabled the power grid and damaged the centrifuges in the subterranean halls. Subsequent American attacks later struck these halls directly.
The hurried evacuation at Natanz is taking place amid the escalating nuclear crisis. Since the war began, Iran has denied access to inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency who sought to visit the attacked facilities. This denial was a key factor that prompted Britain, France, and Germany last week to trigger the “snapback” mechanism, which will reimpose international sanctions within 30 days.