Israeli airstrikes early Saturday reportedly targeted crucial missile production sites in Iran, hitting facilities used to mix solid fuel for ballistic missiles, according to analyses from American researchers and satellite imagery.
The strikes, aimed at missile factories near Tehran and western Iran, were part of Israel’s retaliation following a recent missile attack by Iran.
David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector now leading the Institute for Science and International Security, and Decker Eveleth, a research analyst at the CNA think tank, independently reviewed satellite data showing significant damage at key sites.
Israel is reported to have hit the Parchin military complex, a vast installation near Tehran, and the Khojir missile production site, which has been undergoing major expansion in recent months. Satellite images from Planet Labs revealed two buildings at Khojir, enclosed by berms to contain explosions, were destroyed in the strikes, reported Reuters.
Albright reviewed images of Parchin showing that at least three buildings were damaged, including structures used for solid fuel production. He noted that these industrial mixers are expensive, tightly controlled, and difficult for Iran to replace, which could impair Iran's ability to mass-produce missiles.
Eveleth, reviewing similar imagery, indicated that Israeli strikes might severely limit Iran’s missile production capacity, hindering future missile operations.
The Iranian military stated that Israel used “light warheads” in the attacks, targeting radar facilities in the provinces of Ilam, Khuzestan, and near Tehran. Israeli sources confirmed three waves of airstrikes, aimed at Iran’s missile sites and factories in response to Iran’s October 1 launch of over 200 missiles toward Israel.
Iran holds one of the largest missile arsenals in the Middle East, supplying weaponry to groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. While Tehran and Moscow deny it, U.S. officials say Iran has also provided missiles to Russia.