Tehran is stretching out its ongoing negotiations to alter its nuclear sites to protect them further from potential future military strikes, according to Western intelligence sources.
"While nuclear talks are taking place, and Iran keeps scheduling yet another meeting, they are exploiting the time to modify nuclear facilities in ways that could diminish the impact of a potential military strike on those sites and their outcomes," one of the sources told The Jerusalem Post.
Recent satellite images are showing construction taking place at the sites, and experts have pointed to a trend that started in October 2024, after Israel destroyed Iran's advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems.
After that, Iran has been trying to move national security assets underground, while finishing a new nuclear facility at Natanz, which is under a mountain deeper beneath the ground than the facility in Fordow, which started years ago.
A report from the Institute for Science and International Security, less than two months ago, though, said that construction changes are showing a rush to finish some parts of the Natanz facility so it can be operational sooner.
There is also some debate about whether Israel would be able to hit Iranian military assets if they are moved to the facility.
Meanwhile, officials from Israel and Europe have warned senior members of the Trump administration that Iran is stalling the nuclear talks deliberately.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week told President Donald Trump, as well, that "Tehran is simply buying time."
He also has said that only a credible threat of military force will compel Iran to agree on a nuclear deal that will prohibit it from enriching uranium, which Iran opposes.
Officials in Europe have also warned the United States about Iran's move to drag out the nuclear talks to try to create division between the United States over a UN Security Council sanctions on Iran that can be reimposed only until mid-October.
Under the international 2015 nuclear agreement, which Trump pulled the United States from in 2018, member states can impose sanctions on Iran through a snapback mechanism if Iran violates its nuclear commitments. The option will end this October.
The European countries involved have informed Iran that if a new nuclear deal is not reached by August, they will trigger the snapback mechanism, and Tehran will face extensive sanctions.
One intelligence source told The Post that the Europeans have informed the United States that there "must be a clear timeline for the negotiations," or the Iranians will "deliberately stall" and cause a confrontation between the United States and Europe.
Trump said in an interview this week that he is becoming "less confident" about reaching a deal with Iran, but swore that even if an agreement is not reached, the Middle Eastern country will not obtain nuclear weapons.
But other sources told The New York Post that Trump "believes the Iranians will eventually fold."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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