Buried deep: How Iran’s hidden missile cities protect its deadly arsenal

A missile base near Yazd in central Iran is buried about 500 metres deep inside a mountain, making it more like a hidden fortress than a normal bunker. The base is carved inside very hard Shirkuh granite rock, which can handle huge pressure and is extremely difficult to break. This tough rock makes it very hard even for powerful bunker-buster bombs like the American GBU-57 to destroy it, Daily Mail said.

Inside the mountain, the base is built like a secret underground city rather than just one storage area. The facility is believed to have automated rail systems moving missiles through tunnels between assembly zones, storage areas and hidden exits. Iranian propaganda videos show launchers moved quickly on trucks, fired, and then pulled back underground behind heavy doors within seconds.

Hidden missile city network

Even after weeks of US-Israeli strikes, Iran is still able to launch rockets and drones. The Institute for the Study of War said the Yazd base was hit at least six times, including March 1, 27 and 28. Footage from an open-source intelligence account showed two missiles launched from the site on March 28, ISW reported. It is still unclear whether those launches happened before or after the strikes, ISW added.


Iran has built many similar underground missile cities across mountains forming a network, Daily Mail reported. Experts say Iran spent years building these deep bunkers to protect its missile arsenal. After Israel’s 12-day war, Iran still had thousands of ballistic missiles intact. US intelligence sources told CNN that Iran still has half its missile launchers and thousands of drones.

Strikes but tunnels survive

Some launchers may be buried by strikes but not fully destroyed, sources told CNN. Iran also still has roughly half of its drone stock, which is in the thousands. Many coastal defence cruise missiles used to threaten ships in the Strait of Hormuz remain intact. Israel earlier estimated Iran had about 470 launchers, and claimed 60% were destroyed or disabled. US and Israeli forces have attacked missile infrastructure across Iran, damaging entrances and surface areas. However, the deep underground systems remained largely intact, Daily Mail said.

A CNN investigation found 77% of tunnel entrances were hit, but activity resumed quickly. Construction equipment returned within days to clear debris and reopen access. Reports describe large underground halls filled with missiles, drones and launch systems connected by transport corridors. A January 2026 report from Alma Research found similar evidence of damage but continued operations.

Cheap drones big threat

Footage released by Fars News Agency showed rows of missiles and Shahed drones inside one facility. Trucks carrying launchers were seen deep inside tunnels, Fars footage showed. Iranian flags hung from ceilings, showing the huge scale of hidden facilities, Daily Mail reported. Many Iranian drones are cheap and fast to produce, while interception systems are expensive. This makes defence costlier than attack, raising concern for opponents.

Experts say the main challenge is penetrating the deep architecture where weapons are stored. The tunnels are divided with blast-resistant doors to limit damage. Multiple entrances allow operations to continue even if some exits are destroyed. Some openings are decoys or hidden in terrain, making them hard to find. Analyst Shanaka Anslem Perera told The Statesman that geology itself acts as defence. He said the mountain and railway inside remain unaffected by air strikes. Granite rock absorbs explosive energy, reducing bomb effectiveness.

Bombing not enough

The Royal United Services Institute said destroying such sites may need multiple strikes at the same spot plus detailed intelligence. Attacks must also suppress air defences and hit multiple locations, RUSI added. Tunnelling expert Dr Amichai Mittelman told Globes that Iran’s mountains offer 50-100 meters of strong rock protection, as noted by Daily Mail. Destroying entrances may block access but not collapse tunnels behind them, Mittelman explained.

Iran built many ventilation shafts and backup electrical systems to avoid weaknesses. Ground operations would be high-risk and difficult in such deep tunnel networks. Missile expert Tal Inbar said special forces would need to attack dozens of bases individually. Despite bombing, Iran continued launching missiles at Israel and Gulf countries.

Iran strikes continue despite heavy US attacks

In a recent escalation, Iran hit energy sites in Kuwait and Abu Dhabi, Daily Mail reported. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it shot down a second US F-35 jet, according to Mehr news agency. Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Age” and said attacks could expand. Trump also claimed US forces had already weakened Iran heavily. But intelligence reports suggest Iran still has significant military capability.

US Central Command said more than 12,300 targets in Iran were struck. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said missile and drone launches dropped by 90% compared to early conflict days Experts say Iran prepared for decades by building underground infrastructure, not just weapons. Iran’s hidden missiles and control over oil routes give it strong leverage in conflict talks.

Analysts say the steady pace of Iranian strikes shows infrastructure is still operational. Perera said Iran built railways inside mountains, and those are harder to destroy than missiles. He added that the 500-metre deep mountain and underground railway still deliver missiles to the surface. Overall, the story shows Iran’s deep underground missile cities help protect weapons, making them hard to destroy even with powerful bombs and repeated strikes.

FAQs

Q1. Why are Iran’s missile bases hard to destroy?

They are buried deep inside mountains in Iran, protected by strong rock and hidden tunnels that block bomb damage.

Q2. Can Iran still launch missiles after heavy strikes?

Yes, reports say underground missile cities and backup systems allow Iran to keep launching missiles and drones.