IRGC Missile Base in Shahroud Sustains 'Serious Damage' from Israeli Attack

According to satellite images cited by the Associated Press, Israel inflicted serious damage on an IRGC base in Shahroud, which is used for the production and launch of ballistic missiles, during its attacks on November 5. The news agency reported on Tuesday, November 8, that the damage to the Shahroud base (space center) raises new questions about Israel's attacks early on Saturday, as one of the targets was an undeclared Iranian military facility. This base belongs to the IRGC, and this military and security entity has remained silent regarding the damages incurred from the Israeli attacks. Iranian officials have stated that the targets of the Israeli attacks were in Khuzestan and Ilam provinces and around Tehran, without mentioning this missile base in the rural areas of Semnan province. The attack on the missile base in Shahroud could potentially limit the IRGC's capabilities to produce solid-fuel ballistic missiles, which are among Iran's most important deterrent weapons against Israel. The Islamic Republic of Iran, unlike Israel and Gulf Arab countries, cannot purchase advanced Western weapons, especially American ones, and has long relied on this type of missile to strengthen its military power. The Associated Press adds that analysis of satellite images from the two military bases of Parchin and Khajir around Tehran, which were also among Israel's targets, shows that both ballistic missile production facilities have been destroyed, representing a serious blow to Iran's missile programs. Fabian Hinz, a missile expert and Iran specialist at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, stated, 'We do not exactly know if Iran's missile production facilities and capabilities have been crippled as some say, but the available images suggest that they have been hit.' The Iranian representation at the United Nations did not respond to the Associated Press's request for comment on this matter. The Israeli army also did not respond to the news agency's questions and reiterated its previous statement that it targeted 'missile manufacturing facilities' in the early Saturday attacks. Satellite images show that a large building at the Shahroud base has been destroyed. Satellite images captured by Planet Labs and analyzed by the Associated Press reveal the damage to the IRGC Aerospace Center in Shahroud, located 370 kilometers northeast of Tehran. The Imam Khomeini Space Center, which is used for civilian space programs, is also located in Semnan province. The images, taken on Tuesday morning, show that a large building at the Shahroud space center has been devastated, with only parts of its skeleton remaining. The images reveal several vehicles around the facilities, likely indicating that officials and inspectors responsible for assessing the damages have been brought to the site. A greater number of vehicles than usual are also parked near the main gate of the facilities. Satellite images indicate that three smaller buildings located south of the main structure appear to have been damaged. Iran has been constructing new buildings at this base in recent months. It seems that a hangar in the northeastern part of the main building has also been damaged. Iran has not announced the attack on the Shahroud space center. However, given the damage to several structures, it can be concluded that Israel targeted specific points at this base early on Saturday. The available low-quality images captured after the Israeli attacks show signs of damage to this base that were not evident before the attack, leading to the conclusion that the cause of these damages was the targeted missile strikes by Israel. Fabian Hinz states, 'Other possibilities cannot be completely ruled out, but it can almost certainly be said that this building was damaged as a result of the Israeli attack.' He added that the large central structure at this facility is located among high and wide earthworks, indicating that it was likely a storage site for explosives. According to Mr. Hinz, this large structure was probably a facility for combining solid propellant and casting. This missile expert noted that large boxes seen around the central building of the base are likely missile engine boxes. From the size of the boxes, it can be inferred that these engines are of the type used in the Khaybar Shekan and Fattah-1 ballistic missiles, which Iran claims can reach speeds of 15 Mach, fifteen times the speed of sound. Both types of missiles have been used in Iran's attacks on Israel. The attack on the Shahroud space center and other Israeli assaults on various military bases and facilities have undoubtedly placed the Islamic Republic under significant pressure, especially as it assesses the extent of the damage to its missile capabilities, its most formidable arsenal, while also trying to downplay the scale and impact of the Israeli attacks. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, stated that there should be no exaggeration or downplaying of the Israeli attack on Iran's military centers. Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, said on Tuesday during a meeting with a group of foreign diplomats in Tehran, 'Due to the readiness and vigilance of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the timely response of the country's air defense, the damages from the attacks were very limited. Necessary measures for repairing and restoring the damaged equipment to operational status were quickly implemented.' The United States is concerned that the IRGC's space programs may serve as a cover for missile research. A missile launch pad for Iran's space program is located close to the destroyed building at the Shahroud space center, which the IRGC has used to successfully launch several satellites into Earth's orbit. The IRGC, which is only accountable to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, revealed its secret space program in 2020. U.S. security and intelligence agencies stated in their 2024 assessment of global threats that the continued research and development of satellite launch vehicles by Iran 'will shorten the time required to produce intercontinental ballistic missiles as it uses similar technology.' Intercontinental ballistic missiles can be used to carry nuclear warheads. Following the collapse of the JCPOA, Iran has also increased the volume and concentration of its uranium enrichment. The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned that if the Islamic Republic decides to produce nuclear weapons, it currently possesses enough enriched uranium to make 'several' bombs. The Islamic Republic of Iran has always denied efforts to produce nuclear weapons, claiming that its space programs, like its nuclear programs, are solely for 'non-military purposes.' However, U.S. intelligence and security agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency assert that Iran was developing a military nuclear program until 2003. In the Israeli attacks on Parchin, one of the two military facilities in the outskirts of Tehran that were targeted, a structure related to Iran's nuclear programs was destroyed. Fabian Hinz, a missile expert, states, 'Like Iran's nuclear program, the development of technologies and research in missile and space programs is also conducted under the guise of civilian programs.' In this context, the Iranian government can decide at any moment to utilize these programs for weapon production or use its knowledge and capabilities as leverage in negotiations with the West over sanctions. However, currently, satellite images indicate that Iran is still assessing the consequences of the Israeli attacks. The Royal United Services Institute, a defense and strategic affairs think tank in London, stated in part of its analysis regarding the Israeli attacks on Iran on Monday, 'The evidence emerging over time suggests that severe damage has been inflicted on Iran's air defense and missile launch facilities. The aim of the attacks has been to show Iran that it will be severely vulnerable in the event of retaliatory actions in future Israeli attacks.'