Satellite images suggest new construction near Iranian missile bases and repairs at damaged military sites

Satellite images taken in November suggest Iran is carrying out new construction near at least two of its major missile sites while also repairing military facilities damaged by months of US and Israeli air strikes. Analysts who reviewed the images said digging and new buildings are visible at the Garmdareh military base in Karaj, near Tehran, and at the Shahroud base in northern Iran. The imagery also appears to show repairs at a wider network of military sites across the country.

According to the analysis, at least 12 other military sites, including missile complexes and air bases, show signs of repair work. At the Kermanshah missile base in western Iran, near the border with Iraq, new roofs have been built on destroyed buildings. At the Parchin military complex east of the capital, damaged buildings and debris have been cleared, and analysts said significant construction appears to have been completed at the Taleghan 2 facility within the complex.

The findings come after months of strikes that have damaged Iranian military infrastructure. Analysts said the pattern suggests a focus on restoring capability while reducing exposure to further attacks. One former CIA analyst said the excavations near Shahroud could be linked to missile production, adding that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is likely trying to move production facilities underground because the nearby air base has been targeted multiple times in recent years.

The reported work is significant because it points to how Iran may be adapting its military infrastructure under pressure. A defence analyst and former head of the Irish military said underground construction would make it harder for outside observers to assess the extent and operational status of the sites. That has implications for regional security, particularly if missile-related production is being dispersed or concealed.

The sites named in the analysis have already featured in repeated rounds of damage and repair. Parchin, in particular, has been repeatedly repaired after successive air strikes, according to the imagery review. The report also suggests that Iran is not only restoring damaged facilities but may also be changing how and where sensitive military work is carried out.

What remains unclear is the full purpose of the new construction and how much of the work is directly tied to missile production. The satellite images do not by themselves confirm the exact function of every new structure, and the scale of the repairs may continue to change as more imagery becomes available. Analysts will be watching whether further construction appears at other military sites and whether the pattern points to a broader shift underground.

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