Alarming satellite images show construction near Iran missile bases: report

Troubling new satellite images suggest that Iran has been rapidly rebuilding its missile bases that were decimated by months of airstrikes by the US and Israeli military, according to a new report.Photos from November show evidence of construction and digging at two of Iran’s biggest military bases: Garmdareh base in Karaj, near Tehran, and the Shahroud base in the north, analysts with British intelligence company MAIAR, who reviewed the photos, told BBC Verify.At least 12 other military sites, including missile complexes and airbases, show signs of repairs and construction, according to the images.The Islamic Republic, which has been barraged by US and Israeli attacks since February, has “a pattern of moving infrastructure underground to protect them from further strikes,” an MAIAR analyst told the outlet.Moving facilities underground makes it more difficult for Iran’s adversaries to determine the full extent of their operational capabilities, according to Mark Mellett, a defense analyst and former head of the Irish military.The apparent excavations near Shahroud could be tied to the production of missiles, Jim Lamson, a former CIA analyst and Iran expert, told the BBC.Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps are likely attempting to move its production facilities underground after the nearby airbase has been repeatedly targeted for airstrikes, he said.Both bases in Shahroud and Karaj appear to show significant excavations.Multiple vehicles could be seen in the satellite images as well as improvements in Karaj, the BBC reported.The images near Karaj seem to reveal the construction of “a new portal for an underground facility,” said Sam Lair, research analyst at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI).Analysts from Janes Defense Intelligence also identified tunnel entrances at Karaj and structures indicative of a possible expansion of damaged or destroyed missile bases.The rapid construction is likely because Iran is preparing for further attack...