Satellite images show that the Iranian regime has installed a cylindrical structure resembling an explosives testing chamber at the “Taleqan 2” complex, which was one of the former nuclear weapons-development sites under the “Amad Plan.” The size of this structure and the site’s history have raised new questions about its possible purpose.
The Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington-based organization that monitors nuclear proliferation, reported that based on satellite imagery taken between October and November 2025 of the “Taleqan 2” site, this structure is approximately 36 meters long and 12 meters in diameter and is housed inside a metal building roughly 40 meters long and 17 meters wide.
The institute emphasizes that there is no definitive evidence that this structure is being used for “nuclear weaponization,” but the location and the site’s history are cause for concern.
“Taleqan 2” was a key center for explosives testing in the Amad Plan, and before its bombing by Israel, it housed equipment for producing highly pure PETN — a powerful, stable, and moldable explosive. These materials were used inside the “explosive wave generators” of the Amad Plan.
According to the institute, during the Amad Plan’s operation, a smaller explosive testing chamber was located at the same site, equipped with a reinforced foundation and concrete structure that enabled “X-ray” imaging of explosive tests.
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This site is located less than 200 meters from “Taleqan 1,” a location where a larger explosives chamber had previously been used for nuclear-weapon development.
The new construction began months before the “12-day war,” and current images show the project’s progress.
The large cylindrical structure sits at the center of a reinforced metal building and is positioned between three natural rock walls created by a mountain cut.
Two arch-shaped metal openings can be seen on either side of the structure, which, according to the report, may serve as “blast traps.”
The November 14 images also show three rectangular openings on the roof of the main metal structure that are likely used for ventilation or aerial access to the chamber.
A pile of soil is visible above the structure, which could be used to bury the building — a measure that increases the structure’s resistance to internal explosions or airstrikes.
Newly built concrete foundations around the main building also indicate structural reinforcement of the complex.
According to the institute, the Iranian regime has attempted to conceal the possible chamber from satellite observation.
Earlier images show that a large dark rectangular structure had been placed over the building for some time and was visible until August 24.
This cover was later removed, revealing the metal structure and cylindrical chamber in the images.
The report concludes that the architectural design and reinforcement of the site indicate its high importance to Iran’s regime.
Although the facility’s final purpose cannot be determined with certainty from satellite imagery, the structure’s dimensions, the past history of Taleqan 2, and its proximity to other Amad Plan centers raise “important questions” about the possible role of this site in Iran’s sensitive activities.
