Iran's hidden missile tunnels: Unveiling the secrets underground

The American analytical organization James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies closely examined the footage showing the launch site of Iranian missiles fired towards 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 missiles leaving Iranian launchers and heading towards Israel. One of these comes from the deck of a passenger airplane.

Analysts from the American organization James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies decided to examine the footage more closely. According to the Ukrainian portal Defense Express, they examined the precise coordinates of the location from which Iran launched the missiles, utilizing publicly available footage and satellite images.

The experts' findings indicate that the area is located south of the city of Shiraz—in a gorge, next to which a suddenly ending asphalt 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.

The report states that Iran's underground complex was developed in 2017. The project likely aimed at creating a wide network of shelters where launchers could move without difficulty. Additionally, missile storage areas and spaces for personnel responsible for the artillery barrage within the tunnels also exist.

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 ballistic missiles are capable of threatening similar structures. Analysts point specifically to the South Korean Hyunmoo 5 missile, which has a warhead weighing up to 8,165 kilograms. Defense Express also notes that it is widely believed that missile factories may even be located in underground 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 8,165 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 kilometres per hour. Experts say its use might lead to induced earthquakes.