Washington: Iran has resumed producing ballistic missiles at underground facilities using previously stockpiled components, US officials have claimed, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Officials cited by the newspaper said Iran continued assembling liquid- and solid-fuel ballistic missiles despite strikes on missile sites and industrial facilities during the early stages of the war.
Intelligence reports have identified activity at several underground locations, including the Khojir missile base, according to the report.
US officials said Iran was also seeking to build new underground facilities to protect its missile programme from further airstrikes.
US and regional officials said Tehran was currently assembling missiles using components it already had in storage.
The report said US and Israeli strikes had severely damaged several key industrial facilities involved in manufacturing missiles and their components, while a naval blockade had made imports of solid-fuel ingredients and other components extremely difficult.
Arab officials said the destruction of chemical facilities used to produce liquid fuel and industrial mixers required for solid-fuel production remained a major obstacle to large-scale missile manufacturing.
The Wall Street Journal said the latest developments underscored the difficulty of completely dismantling Iran’s ballistic missile programme.
Satellite imagery cited by the newspaper reportedly shows Iran rapidly rebuilding damaged infrastructure, ranging from bridges and roads to production facilities, raising concerns among Israeli officials.
The report also said Iran had restored access routes to tunnels at missile bases damaged in US and Israeli airstrikes.
According to Israeli military assessments cited by the newspaper, weapons stored inside those underground facilities may still remain intact.
