Iran Expands Parchin Military Complex

The expansion of the Parchin facility, according to a photo published by Intel Lab.
The expansion of the Parchin facility, according to a photo published by Intel Lab.
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Iran Expands Parchin Military Complex

The expansion of the Parchin facility, according to a photo published by Intel Lab.
The expansion of the Parchin facility, according to a photo published by Intel Lab.

Satellite images show that four new buildings have gone up at Iran’s Parchin military complex, where explosives experiments related to nuclear weapons were conducted in the early 2000s.

The structures are surrounded by steep walls made of compacted earth to deflect explosions, intelligence consultancy group The Intel Lab said.

This comes after the completion of the nearby extension in November 2020, comprising a dozen new buildings surrounded by High and Thick concrete blast walls.

This extensive construction activity since 2018 is probably related to the Iran Ballistic Missile Program. However, it cannot be ruled out that part of it could contribute to other activities restricted or monitored by the nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

After signing the deal in July 2015, Iran allowed International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano to visit Natanz nuclear facility.

Iranian experts also took samples from the facility and handed them to the IAEA.

Then, the Agency prepared a report aiming at providing a clear image on whether or not the nuclear deal has a military prospect.



Belgium Says Will Take Part in Gaza Aid-drop Plan

Palestinians gather as they seek aid that entered Gaza through Israel, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, July 27, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Palestinians gather as they seek aid that entered Gaza through Israel, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, July 27, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
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Belgium Says Will Take Part in Gaza Aid-drop Plan

Palestinians gather as they seek aid that entered Gaza through Israel, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, July 27, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Palestinians gather as they seek aid that entered Gaza through Israel, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, July 27, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa

Belgium will take part in a multi-country operation coordinated by Jordan to airdrop aid to Gaza, the government announced Wednesday, as UN agencies warn the Palestinian territory is slipping into famine.

A Belgian plane carrying medical supplies and food worth some 600,000 euros ($690,000) will fly "soon" to Jordan, and will remain on stand-by to conduct air drops in coordination with Amman, the defense and foreign ministries said in a statement, AFP reported.

Belgium joins a string of Western nations including France, Spain and Britain looking to send aid into Gaza by air as fears mount of mass starvation in the territory.

"These airdrops are a first step, but they can in no way be a cover for the urgent need to facilitate access by land," Belgian foreign minister Maxime Prevot said.

"I will continue to plead with the Israeli authorities to allow these deliveries to enter Gaza by road as quickly as possible."

The World Food Program, UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organisation warned Tuesday that time was running out and that Gaza was "on the brink of a full-scale famine".

Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza on March 2 after ceasefire talks broke down. In late May, it began allowing a small trickle of aid to resume, amid rising fears of a wave of starvation.

Then on Sunday, faced with mounting international criticism, Israel began a series of "tactical pauses" while allowing aid trucks to pass through two border crossings into Gaza, and Jordanian and Emirati planes to conduct airdrops.

Deliveries have been ramped up, but the experts advising the UN said this effort would not prove enough unless aid agencies were granted "immediate, unimpeded" humanitarian access.