Satellite images suggest major new construction at Iran missile bases
Analysts say Iran is building and repairing at missile and military sites damaged by US and Israeli air strikes, with some work possibly moving underground.
At a glance
- Satellite images from November show digging and new buildings at Iran's Garmdareh and Shahroud bases, analysts say.
- At least 12 other Iranian military sites show repairs, including new roofs at Kermanshah and cleared debris at Parchin.
- Analysts say Iran may be moving missile production underground to protect it from further US and Israeli strikes.
Iran appears to be carrying out significant new construction near at least two of its major missile sites and repairing bases damaged by months of US and Israeli air strikes, according to an analysis of satellite images reviewed by BBC Verify.
Imagery taken in November shows digging and new buildings at the Garmdareh military base in Karaj, near Tehran, and at the Shahroud base in northern Iran. Analysts at the British intelligence company MAIAR, who examined the photographs, told BBC Verify about the findings.
At least 12 other military sites, including missile complexes and air bases, also appear to show signs of repair. New roofs have been put up on destroyed buildings at the Kermanshah missile base in western Iran, near the border with Iraq, while damaged structures and debris have been cleared at the Parchin military complex east of Tehran. Parchin has been repeatedly repaired after a series of air strikes.
Why move underground?
Jim Lamson, a former CIA analyst who focused on Iran, said the excavations near Shahroud could be linked to missile production. Because the nearby Shahroud air base has been targeted several times in recent years, he said, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) is probably looking for ways to shift its production facilities underground.
A MAIAR analyst said Iran has followed a pattern of moving infrastructure below ground to shield it from further strikes. Mark Mellett, a defence analyst and former head of the Irish military, said building underground facilities also has the advantage of making it harder for outside observers to judge how extensive the work is and whether it is operational.
Analysts said satellite images appear to show that major construction has been completed at the Taleghan 2 facility at Parchin, where damaged buildings were levelled and the aftermath of attacks on an underground bunker was repaired and reinforced with concrete.
Across the country, Iranian forces have concentrated on smaller-scale repairs at complexes heavily damaged by air strikes since the start of the US-Israeli war.
Political backdrop
Speculation has grown in recent weeks that the US could resume attacks on Iran following this week's midterm elections. On Wednesday, Vice-President JD Vance cited the war's unpopularity with voters when discussing the Republicans' poor performance, saying it may have cost his party control of the Senate.
Source: BBC World.
Questions and answers
- What do the satellite images of Iran show?
- November imagery reviewed by BBC Verify shows digging and new buildings at the Garmdareh base near Tehran and the Shahroud base in the north, plus repairs at least 12 other military sites.
- Why is Iran building underground facilities?
- Analysts say Iran has a pattern of moving infrastructure underground to protect it from further air strikes. Underground sites also make it harder for outside observers to assess their extent and operational status.
- Could the US resume attacks on Iran?
- Speculation has mounted in recent weeks that the US could attack Iran again after this week's midterm elections. Vice-President JD Vance cited the war's unpopularity with voters in discussing the Republicans' poor showing.
