Iran Rebuilds Missile Bases Below Ground

Analysts at the British intelligence firm MAIAR found evidence of major digging operations near at least two of Iran's primary missile facilities. The work is visible in satellite photos taken this month at the Garmdareh military base in Karaj and the Shahroud base in the north. These changes indicate an effort to repair damage from US and Israeli strikes while building new defensive structures.

The expansion extends beyond these two locations. At least twelve other military installations show signs of repair. New roofs were installed on destroyed buildings at the Kermanshah missile base near the Iraqi border. Meanwhile, crews cleared debris and damaged structures at the Parchin complex east of Tehran.

Jim Lamson, a former CIA analyst, linked the excavations near Shahroud to missile production. He stated that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is moving production underground to protect it because the nearby air base has been hit repeatedly. Mark Mellett, a defense analyst and former head of the Irish military, noted that underground facilities make it hard for outside observers to assess the status of Iranian military assets.

Satellite images of the Taleghan 2 facility within the Parchin complex suggest major construction is finished. Damaged buildings were leveled, and an underground bunker was reinforced with concrete. In Karaj, analysts spotted multiple vehicles and improvements to the nearby airbase. Sam Lair, a research analyst at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said the images likely show a new portal for an underground facility.

Sean O'Connor of the intelligence firm Janes argued the construction is not a deceptive measure. He explained that such a project would be costly and might achieve little in terms of misleading foreign intelligence agencies. The activity follows White House claims that US and Israeli attacks depleted Iranian armed forces. A Pentagon spokesperson previously said the US destroyed up to 90 percent of Iran's drone, ballistic missile, and naval industrial base.

Iran maintains it retains large missile stockpiles. State television broadcast footage this week showing dozens of missiles at the entrance to an underground facility in southern Iran. Earlier in August, similar footage showed Khordad surface-to-air missiles emerging from a tunnel near Bandar Abbas. Mark Cancian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the activity shows Tehran is preparing for further attacks. He noted the purpose is to better defend against future strikes, indicating a priority on rebuilding military capability rather than rehabilitating the economy.