Iran's missile network: Unveiled secrets under Shiraz
The American analytical organisation James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies closely examined the footage showing the launch site of Iranian missiles aimed at Israel. However, they managed to pinpoint the exact location, but the acquired data doesn’t actually reveal much.
In the massive strike on Israel conducted in the first days of October 2024, Iran used nearly 200 missiles, which were launched in less than 30 minutes. Shortly after the attack began, social media was flooded with footage showing a volley of rockets leaving Iranian launchers and heading towards Israel. One of these comes from the deck of a passenger aeroplane.
Analysts examined where Iran launched the missiles from
Analysts from the American organisation James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies decided to examine the footage more closely. Using publicly available footage and satellite images, they examined the precise coordinates of the location from which Iran launched the missiles, according to the Ukrainian portal Defense Express.
The experts' findings indicate that the area is located south of Shiraz—in a gorge, next to which a suddenly ending tarmac road runs. Only through detailed analysis of satellite images from Google Earth did experts notice that there are entrances to underground tunnels in the rocks by the road. Calculations show that the distance from the shelter exits to the missile launch site is about 1.6 kilometres.
Iran's underground tunnels
Development of Iran’s underground complex started in 2017—reads the report. The project likely aimed at creating a wide network of shelters where launchers can move without difficulty. Additionally, there are missile storage areas and spaces for personnel responsible for the artillery barrage within the tunnels.
However, analysts are at a loss since they cannot determine exactly where the tunnels run several metres deep. Therefore, destroying such tunnels is a challenging task—though experts believe that there are ballistic missiles capable of threatening similar structures. Analysts point specifically to the South Korean Hyunmoo 5 missile with a warhead weighing up to 8,200 kilograms. Defense Express also notes that it is widely believed that missile factories may even be located in the underground tunnels.
A missile that can destroy Iran's tunnels
The mentioned Hyunmoo 5 missile, which could be used to destroy Iran's underground tunnels, is designed to strike targets at significant distances as its range reaches up to 3,057 kilometres. The warhead of Hyunmoo 5 weighs about 8,200 kilograms, making it the heaviest conventional ballistic missile that currently exists. It can accelerate to a speed of Mach 10, which corresponds to a speed of 11,000 km/h. Experts say its use might lead to induced earthquakes.
