NYT: Satellite imagery shows Iran repaired ballistic missiles sites hit in 12-day war
"Threatening Israel and U.S. bases and allies in the region with missile attacks is one of Iran’s few options to deter repeat strikes on its nuclear facilities"
Close analysis of satellite imagery suggests Iran "rapidly" repaired several ballistic missile facilities damaged by Israeli strikes during last year's 12-day war, the New York Times reported Friday, as talks were ongoing in Oman between American and Iranian delegations in a bid to forestall another war.
On the other hand, images of Iran's nuclear sites hit in the same war by U.S. and Israeli strikes suggests a more humble scale of repair works, suggesting that the regime's immediate priority is a working arsenal of ballistic missiles that could threaten Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East in case of a war.
“Threatening Israel and U.S. bases and allies in the region with missile attacks is one of Iran’s few options to deter repeat strikes on its nuclear facilities,” John P. Caves III, a consultant with the Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction at National Defense University in Washington, was quoted as saying in the report.
"Dozens" of missile facilities have seen signs of extensive repair, the report said, going on to cite Sam Lair, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, as saying that "the emphasis that’s been put on rebuilding the missile program stands in contrast to the nuclear program."
This is especially true of Iran's most advanced ballistic missile factory, the Shahroud missile test facility, that appears to have become operational again within months of the June 2025 war.
"Shahroud is their largest and newest solid-propellant missile production plant," Lair is quoted as saying. "So it makes sense that it got all of the attention."