Inside Iran’s ‘missile cities’: The secret underground bases powering Tehran’s arsenal
Iran’s missile arsenal remains one of the central pillars of its military strategy against Israel and the US, even after months of intensive strikes that have damaged launch sites, storage facilities and parts of its missile-production network. For years, the benchmark figure was more than 3,000 ballistic missiles , based on a 2022 assessment by the US Central Command. But that figure is…
Iran's arsenal of ballistic missiles is central to its military strategy against Israel and the United States. Despite recent strikes that have damaged launch sites and production facilities, Iran's stockpile of fewer than 2,000 missiles as of the end of 2026 remains a critical component of its conventional deterrence. Intelligence reports indicate that Tehran's "missile cities" – around 30 underground and surface installations – are key to its missile network, housing, manufacturing, and deploying thousands of precision-guided weapons.
These facilities include the Tabriz Missile Base, the largest underground silo network in East Azerbaijan Province, and the Khorramabad Silo Complex in Lorestan Province, which specializes in liquid-fueled missiles. Isfahan's Assembly Complex serves as the country's largest domestic missile manufacturing and assembly hub. Despite substantial losses, Iran's remaining missile capability remains a significant part of its conventional deterrent force.
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