What happened
Satellite images taken in November show excavation and new construction at the Garmdareh military base near Karaj, close to Tehran, and at the Shahroud base in northern Iran, according to analysts at British intelligence firm MAIAR who reviewed the imagery for BBC Verify.
At least 12 other military sites, including missile complexes and air bases, appear to show signs of repair. New roofs have been built on destroyed buildings at the Kermanshah missile base in western Iran, while damaged structures and debris have been cleared at the Parchin military complex east of Tehran.
At Parchin, analysts said satellite images show significant construction at the Taleghan 2 facility, with damaged buildings levelled and an underground bunker repaired and reinforced with concrete. At Karaj and Shahroud, images show significant excavation, including what one researcher described as a new portal for an underground facility.
Jim Lamson, a former CIA analyst focused on Iran, said the excavations near Shahroud could relate to missile production and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is probably trying to move production facilities underground because the nearby air base has been targeted multiple times. A MAIAR analyst said Iran has a pattern of moving infrastructure underground to protect it from further strikes.
Mark Mellett, a defence analyst and former head of the Irish military, said underground facilities make it harder for outside observers to assess their extent and operational status. Janes analysis indicates a new facility may be under construction at Karaj, including tunnel entrances, though its purpose could be storage or other uses.
A MAIAR analyst also identified new construction and excavations outside tunnel entrances near Qom, close to the Fordo underground uranium enrichment complex.
