Iran's missiles are being readied to fly again despite concentrated strikes by the United States and Israel, with components hidden underground quietly being reassembled.
U.S. and Middle Eastern officials said Iran has begun reassembling ballistic missiles using parts stockpiled at underground facilities, even after its missile bases and production sites were hit hard early in the war, The Wall Street Journal reported on the 10th.
Such activity has been detected at several underground bases, including the Khojir missile complex in southeastern Iran, and attempts to build new underground production sites to avoid airstrikes have also been confirmed.
Iran has restarted production of both liquid-propellant missiles, which must be fueled shortly before launch, and solid-propellant missiles, which can be stored ready to fire.
Output is lower than before the war because the United States and Israel destroyed most production facilities and a naval blockade cut off imports of components and raw materials for solid fuel. But Iran is making up for the losses by pulling together existing stockpiled parts to assemble new missiles.
The Journal said Iran's renewed missile production undercuts the wartime achievements the United States and Israel have touted, and boosts Iran's ability to hold out in a war of attrition between its weapons stockpiles and the interceptor missile stockpiles of the United States and Gulf states.
Tal Inbar, a senior analyst at the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA), also warned that damaged infrastructure can be repaired once airstrikes stop and that new components can be bought from other countries and stockpiled. He said it would be extremely naive to think Iran is not rebuilding its missile production capacity.
That collides head-on with the official position of the Trump administration. President Donald Trump and other administration officials have consistently argued that Iran's military capabilities have been sharply weakened.
