Satellite Images Show Repairs and Underground Expansion at Iranian Missile Sites

Satellite imagery from November reveals that Iran has initiated structural repairs and new construction across multiple military and missile sites previously targeted in air strikes by the United States and Israel. Analysis by British intelligence firm MAIAR, reported by BBC Verify, indicates active works at more than a dozen locations across the country.

The imagery shows heavy earthmoving and new building construction at the Garmdareh military base in Karaj, near Tehran, as well as at the Shahroud facility in northern Iran. Further maintenance activity was recorded at the Kermanshah missile complex near the Iraqi border, where damaged structures received new roofing, and at the Parchin complex east of the Iranian capital. At the Taleghan 2 site within the Parchin complex, crews have cleared rubble and reinforced an underground bunker with concrete.

Former Central Intelligence Agency analyst Jim Lamson stated that the excavations near Shahroud could be associated with missile production, noting that repeated attacks on the site likely prompted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to relocate production facilities underground. Defence analyst Mark Mellett, former head of the Irish Defence Forces, stated that subsurface construction makes it more difficult for foreign observers to evaluate operational capabilities. Analysts from MAIAR similarly observed that Iran frequently shifts critical defense infrastructure underground to mitigate the impact of future air strikes.

The construction activity comes amid ongoing speculation regarding future military actions following the recent US midterm elections. US Vice-President JD Vance publicly attributed Republican losses in the Senate election to voter dissatisfaction with the conflict. Neither Washington nor Tehran has issued official commentary on the specific satellite imagery findings.

Written by Thomas Nussbaumer thomas.nussbaumer@alpineweekly.com