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  Satellite images show construction at site linked to Israel’s suspected nuclear weapons programme

Israel does not confirm or deny having atomic weapons

Jon Gambrell,  Independent , Wednesday 03 September 2025

Intensified construction work has been seen at a facility central to Israel’s long-suspected atomic weapons programme, according to satellite images analysed by experts. The development at the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center near Dimona could signify a new reactor or a facility designed for assembling nuclear arms, though the programme’s inherent secrecy makes precise identification difficult.

This activity is set to reignite questions surrounding Israel’s widely believed status as the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed state. It also risks drawing international criticism, particularly as it follows joint operations in June where Israel and the United States bombed nuclear sites across Iran, including the heavy water reactor at Arak, amid concerns Tehran could pursue atomic weapons.

Seven experts who examined the images all said they believed the construction was related to Israel’s long-suspected nuclear weapons program, given its proximity to the reactor at Dimona, where no civilian power plant exists. However, they split on what the new construction could be.

Three said the location and size of the area under construction and the fact that it appeared to have multiple floors meant the most likely explanation for the work was the construction of a new heavy water reactor. Such reactors can produce plutonium and another material key to nuclear weapons.

The other four acknowledged it could be a heavy water reactor but also suggested the work could be related to a new facility for assembling nuclear weapons. They declined to be definitive given the construction was still in an early stage……………………………………………………………………………………… https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-nuclear-shimon-peres-negev-b2818997.html

September 5, 2025 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Israel, weapons and war