Iran has regained access to 18 large underground missile arsenals, the entrances to which were blocked after the US bombing, and has cleared 50 of the 69 entrance tunnels to these bases, CNN reported after analyzing recent satellite images.
Experts interviewed by the channel believe that the country is now capable of launching significantly more long-range missiles at Israel and other Middle Eastern countries thanks to the rapid extraction of ammunition from underground storage facilities.
“Even if production is halted, there is nothing stopping them from arming the launchers from the missile stockpiles that the Iranians still have“, explained Sam Lear, a research fellow at the James Martin Center.
According to satellite images, the Iranians used conventional equipment - bulldozers and dump trucks - to clear the rubble, and also repaired access roads. Analysts told CNN that these images clearly demonstrate the limitations of the Israeli-American military campaign: Tehran's missile potential cannot be destroyed even by the most powerful and expensive strikes on the tunnel entrances.
The underground network that Iran has been building for more than two decades reliably conceals missiles and launchers. Some facilities are located hundreds of meters below the bedrock, which seriously limits the effectiveness of American and Israeli attacks, CNN notes.
The television reported in mid-April that Tehran was actively clearing tunnels blocked by the strikes.