# Iranian Missile Cities (DD-733)

> Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has publicized underground 'missile cities' in state-released videos. In March 2025 it showed a large facility where Iranian media said missiles including Sejjil, Qadr-H and Kheibar Shekan were stored. Analysts at The War Zone noted that the munitions appeared to sit in open galleries with few blast doors. During the June 2025 Israel-Iran war, analysts at ISW reported that Israeli strikes destroyed launch sites and tunnel entrances at several missile bases. In November 2025, Iran's passive-defense chief said the underground infrastructure was largely intact. Many details can't be independently verified.

- Department: Military (also Locations)
- First published: 2026-08-29
- Last updated: 2026-08-29
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/iranian-missile-cities/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **March 25, 2025**: Iranian state media shows a large underground missile facility
- **June 2025**: Israel-Iran war; analysts report strikes on missile bases
- **November 2025**: Iran's passive-defense chief says underground sites are largely intact

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=iranian-missile-cities

## Quick facts

- **DD-733-F01**: Iran publicized a large underground missile facility in March 2025. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (What Iran has shown))_
- **DD-733-F02**: Assessments of the 2025 damage differ between Israeli, analyst and Iranian sources. _(Write-up · Exhibit C (The June 2025 war))_

## Write-up

Iran's tunnel bases for missiles and drones. What Iran has shown, and what outside analysts have assessed.

1. **What Iran has shown**: On March 25, 2025, Iranian state media released video of senior commanders touring an underground facility. Tehran Times described it as one of 'hundreds' of IRGC missile cities, holding missiles such as Emad, Sejjil, Qadr-H and Kheibar Shekan. These numbers come from Iran and can't be independently verified.
2. **Analysts' view**: The War Zone observed that the munitions in the video appeared to be stored in long galleries with few or no blast doors. It noted this could risk chain-reaction explosions if the site were breached, unlike some other Iranian sites.
3. **The June 2025 war**: Analysts at ISW/CTP reported, based on commercial satellite imagery, that Israeli strikes destroyed launch sites, storage tunnels and tunnel entrances at bases near Tabriz and in Kermanshah province. The Israeli military said it destroyed about half of Iran's ballistic-missile launchers.
4. **Iran's account**: In November 2025, Iran's passive-defense chief, Gholamreza Jalali, said almost all underground and under-mountain missile infrastructure remained intact, with only minor damage at some access points.
5. **Contested picture**: Both sides' claims serve their own interests, and outside observers can see only part of these sites. The case presents each claim with its source.

## Related case files

- [Hypersonic Missiles (DD-059)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/hypersonic-missiles/): Another missile-technology case
- [Ali Khamenei (DD-076)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/ali-khamenei/): Iran's Supreme Leader, a Persons of Interest profile
- [The Iron Dome (DD-606)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-iron-dome/): Another case on missiles in the region

## Reel vs. record

- **Attribution**: most details, such as 'hundreds' of missile cities and the missile types stored, come from Iranian state media and can't be independently verified.
- **Missing context**: during the June 2025 Israel-Iran war, analysts (ISW/CTP) reported Israeli strikes on launch sites and tunnel entrances at several missile bases.
- **Balance**: Iran's passive-defense chief said in November 2025 that its underground missile infrastructure was almost entirely intact. The damage remains contested.
- **Missing context**: analysts at The War Zone noted that the March 2025 footage appeared to show munitions stored without separating blast doors, a potential vulnerability.
- **Framing**: 'missile cities' is the IRGC's own term, used in its publicity.

## Video: Iranian Missile Cities: Iran's Tunnel Bases for Missiles and Drones

- Duration: 20.9 s · Published: 2026-08-29
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DcoiyDmx25y.mp4

### Transcript

DID YOU KNOW? Iran has spent decades building an extensive network of underground "missile cities" and drone facilities, carving tunnels into mountains and burying military infrastructure beneath layers of rock and concrete. These complexes can combine missile storage, assembly, and maintenance areas, while some newer installations are associated with drones and other unmanned systems. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: When did Iran publicize a large underground missile facility?**  
A: State media released video on March 25, 2025. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (What Iran has shown) · Tehran Times (Iranian state-aligned): IRGC unveils one of its largest underground missile cities (March 25, 2025); Al-Monitor: Iran's IRGC unveils underground facility housing thousands of ballistic missiles (2025))_

**Q: Who uses the term 'missile cities'?**  
A: It's the IRGC's own term. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Contested picture) · The War Zone: Iran Shows Off Underground 'Missile City'; ISW/CTP: Iran Update, July 3, 2025; Iran International: Iran passive defense chief says underground missile sites largely intact (Nov 2025))_

**Q: What vulnerability did The War Zone note in the footage?**  
A: Munitions appeared stored in open galleries. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Analysts' view) · The War Zone: Iran Shows Off Underground 'Missile City')_

**Q: Whose analysts reported damage to tunnel entrances in June 2025?**  
A: ISW/CTP, based on satellite imagery. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (The June 2025 war) · ISW/CTP: Iran Update, July 3, 2025)_

**Q: What did Iran's passive-defense chief claim in November 2025?**  
A: He said there was only minor damage at some access points. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Iran's account) · Iran International: Iran passive defense chief says underground missile sites largely intact (Nov 2025))_

## Sources

- [Tehran Times (Iranian state-aligned): IRGC unveils one of its largest underground missile cities (March 25, 2025)](https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/511206/Iran-s-IRGC-unveils-one-of-its-largest-underground-missile-cities)
- [Al-Monitor: Iran's IRGC unveils underground facility housing thousands of ballistic missiles (2025)](https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2025/03/irans-irgc-unveils-underground-facility-housing-thousands-ballistic-missiles)
- [The War Zone: Iran Shows Off Underground 'Missile City'](https://www.twz.com/news-features/iran-shows-off-underground-missile-city)
- [ISW/CTP: Iran Update, July 3, 2025](https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-update-july-3-2025/)
- [Iran International: Iran passive defense chief says underground missile sites largely intact (Nov 2025)](https://www.iranintl.com/en/202511099006)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Iranian Missile Cities." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-733, last updated Aug 29, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/iranian-missile-cities/