How has the Iranian regime attempted to conceal its reconstruction efforts since Operation Rising Lion?

Eight months have passed since Operation Rising Lion during which Iran has tried to operate away from the spotlight. Under international diversion efforts, the terrorist regime has been busy restoring damaged nuclear infrastructure, accelerating missile production, and continuing to finance, train, and arm its proxies along Israel’s borders, while at the same time dealing with a serious civil crisis that has spilled over into a wave of large-scale protests.

This is the sequence of Iranian actions that led to the launch of Operation Roaring Lion, a broad, joint operation by the IDF and the U.S. military aimed at fundamentally taking down  the terrorist regime and removing existential threats to Israel over time.

On the last day of Operation Rising Lion, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, acknowledged the significant damage caused to the nuclear infrastructure: “Arrangements have been made to advance the rehabilitation of the country’s nuclear industry. We are assessing the damage following the strikes on the nuclear infrastructure.”

From that point on, Iran began a process of turning physical damage into a catalyst for rehabilitation and acceleration of programs. Throughout the country, an extensive engineering operation was conducted to seal tunnel openings in nuclear complexes. The entrances to the underground facilities were covered with huge piles of dirt, using trucks and heavy engineering equipment operating from nearby staging areas. The goal was twofold: protection against future attacks - and concealment of the rehabilitation operations. 

For example, at the site damaged by the Israeli attacks in Isfahan, a new roof was built between December 25 and January 26 for the damaged structure. And according to the information revealed, its re-establishment is intended to allow for continued development and rehabilitation while concealing and reducing exposure.

In parallel with the nuclear operations, over the past eight months the Revolutionary Guards’ ballistic missile production has continued, along with additional preparations to significantly expand its scope.

Over the months, supply chains have been established to circumvent sanctions in an effort to restore the stock of solid fuel for missiles - a critical component of launch capability. These efforts have included importing planetary mixers, essential industrial equipment for the production of solid fuel, from foreign countries.

These moves have been carried out in secrecy, relying on complex intermediary mechanisms designed to circumvent the limitations of international oversight, with particular emphasis on bypassing the “snapback” mechanism, which includes various restrictions and sanctions in the security and economic spheres, including a ban on the development and production of ballistic missiles.

Iranian policy has been characterized by an attempt to present commitment and a willingness to cooperate, while concealing the continued buildup in practice. The gap between public statements and activity on the ground has widened, indicating a deliberate strategy of gradual reconstruction under the guise of diplomatic discourse.

In addition, Iran has been in a severe economic crisis in recent years, manifested in a currency devaluation of tens of percent, rising food prices, and a significant portion of the population living below the poverty line. All of this has exacerbated public pressure for change.

Following the expansion of protest waves across the country, the regime deployed violent repression against them. This included the deployment of large military and police forces, a complete shutdown of internet services, and the use of live fire against protesters.

In January and February of 2026, the repression reached its peak, when thousands of Iranian citizens were killed in events that were described as unprecedented in their scope - a step that was, according to estimates, intended to stabilize the regime in the face of economic collapse and the spread of the protest. 

Alongside the repression of demonstrators protesting the economic situation, the regime continued transferring billions of dollars to its terrorist branches across the Middle East. The Houthis in Yemen positioned themselves as a significant arm of the Iranians, while Iran continued its efforts to arm them via the maritime proximity between the countries.

Additional economic focus was directed toward the forces in Iraq and the international terrorist networks of the Quds Force within the Revolutionary Guards, which were nurtured and expanded. Significant emphasis was also placed on Hezbollah, which had been severely damaged in the war with Israel, with substantial sums of money sent to rebuild its strength.

The combination of accelerated reconstruction of nuclear infrastructure, the ballistic missile stockpile, and the circumvention of sanctions created a new reality in the Iranian arena. These trends led to the decision to launch Operation Roaring Lion, with the aim of halting the process of strengthening and thwarting further progress.