Iran reopens majority of underground missile sites: Report

WASHINGTON: Iran has restored access to a significant portion of its underground missile infrastructure following months of excavation and repair work, highlighting the “limits to US bombing strategy”, which was focused on sealing tunnel entrances, according to a news report by CNN.

Satellite imagery reviewed by CNN indicated that Iranian forces have successfully reopened 50 of the 69 tunnel entrances targeted by US and Israeli strikes across 18 underground missile facilities. The strikes had initially sought to restrict Tehran’s access to missile stockpiles by destroying roads and burying key tunnel entrances.

According to CNN, Iran relied on relatively simple construction equipment, including bulldozers and dump trucks, to clear debris and restore access to the facilities. The effort continued despite repeated attacks on the excavation equipment during the conflict.

Experts told CNN that the developments suggest Iran’s missile capabilities are far more resilient than anticipated. “Iran is in position to continue launching missiles so long as they have launchers and crews, even if production has halted,” said Sam Lair, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies who studies Iran’s missile programme. “There’s nothing to prevent the launchers from being armed with the ample stockpile of missiles that the Iranians still have.”

CNN reported that while Iranian missile launch rates declined significantly during the fighting, Tehran continued firing missiles throughout the conflict by gradually restoring access to key facilities. Since the ceasefire more than seven weeks ago, excavation and repair operations have accelerated.

The news report also noted that Iran has repaired roads damaged by US and Israeli strikes, with satellite imagery showing that most bomb craters have been filled and, in some cases, roads have been repaved.

Lair argued that the campaign demonstrated the difference between tactical and strategic success. “The US military is good at delivering tactical successes, and entombing and suppressing the Iranian missile force is a great example of that,” he told CNN. “However, if that isn’t accompanied by a set of reasonable strategic war aims and an achievable theory of victory, it can end up being a strategic failure.”

CNN further reported that while Iran and the United States have reached a tentative agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, negotiations on implementation remain ongoing. Analysts caution that if hostilities were to resume, Tehran could retain a substantial missile-launch capability despite previous efforts to degrade its arsenal.

Responding to questions about CNN’s findings, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell did not address the specific assessment. Instead, he reiterated an earlier statement, saying, “America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing.” (ANI)