By Muhammad Mamman
Iran’s ballistic and cruise missile program has taken a dramatic turn, with military analysts reporting that the Islamic Republic is increasingly relying on deeply buried missile facilities — complicating efforts by the United States, Israel and their allies to detect and neutralise launch sites ahead of strikes.
While claims that Iran is firing missiles from so-called *“underground missile cities” without launch pads or standard surface infrastructure are circulating on social media, open-source evidence confirms that Tehran has long developed an extensive network of subterranean missile bases. These hardened sites are used to store, protect and — in some cases — launch missiles such as Qiam-1s and Fateh-110s from beneath the earth, making them harder to track via satellite and intercept before launch. 
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has publicly showcased multiple underground facilities in recent years, describing them as strategic assets designed to withstand aerial bombardment and preserve Tehran’s missile deterrent. Analysts note that these installations, often situated in mountainous areas or deep below hardened bunkers, allow Iran to buffer its arsenal against conventional strikes, complicating opponents’ planning. 
The ongoing conflict between Iran and a coalition of U.S. and Israeli forces has seen sustained efforts to disrupt Tehran’s missile capabilities. U.S. and Israeli air strikes — including operations targeting underground launchers and storage facilities — continue to degrade Iran’s ability to strike afar. Satellite imagery released this week showed hits on multiple ballistic missile infrastructure sites, including hardened positions and tunnels near major military complexes. 
Despite these challenges, Iran has demonstrated resiliency. Recent exchanges of missile fire and retaliatory strikes underscore the regime’s determination to keep its missile programme operational even as thousands of sorties by U.S. bombers and Israeli jets have targeted launch platforms, air defences and related infrastructure. 
Experts caution that while underground missile bases add complexity to defence and pre-emptive operations, they are not invulnerable. Advanced reconnaissance technologies, combined with precision-guided munitions such as bunker-busting ordnance, are being used in current operations to penetrate hardened sites. However, fully detecting and targeting every concealed launch aperture remains difficult. 
The unfolding confrontation has heightened regional tensions, with incidents such as a ballistic missile intercepted over Turkish airspace — the first direct threat to a NATO member — prompting concerns about broader escalation. 
As the conflict evolves, the interplay between subterranean missile infrastructure and modern surveillance and strike capabilities will remain a defining feature of regional security dynamics, challenging both diplomatic efforts and military strategies in one of the world’s most volatile flashpoints.
