TEHRAN – On Tuesday, the IRGC Aerospace Force unveiled a new underground missile city, displaying an array of ballistic and cruise missiles and their launch systems. 

The unveiling came as Iran highlights the expansion of its domestic missile-production capabilities and the resilience of its military infrastructure in the face of repeated U.S. threats to resume military aggression against the Islamic Republic.

The unveiling ceremony was attended by military chief Ali Abdollahi and IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Majid Mousavi.

The facility showcases a range of missile systems and launch platforms, underscoring the Aerospace Force’s emphasis on developing, storing and deploying strategic weapons through an increasingly extensive underground infrastructure.

The unveiling comes as Iran marks IRGC Aerospace Force Week and follows an announcement by IRGC spokesman Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi that the force would introduce a new underground missile city alongside several other military achievements.

Mohebbi said the Aerospace Force had accelerated the transfer of its missile and drone production lines from surface facilities to underground locations, moving beyond conventional underground storage complexes to establish “underground missile production cities.”

He emphasized that Iran’s domestic technological expertise, extensive geographical territory, and flexible industrial infrastructure would enable the country to sustain weapons production even under intensive aerial bombardment.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, General Mousavi declared Iran's readiness to confront any threat, warning that any aggression would end in defeat.

Mousavi said the capabilities inherited from the distinguished commanders had become a robust and reliable instrument of defense.

"Today, we are fully prepared to confront any threat in the region and beyond, with capabilities that are both credible and reliable," he stated.

“If necessary, we will bring all of their (enemies’) capabilities across the region and beyond under fire, leaving the enemy with nothing but defeat and rout,” Mousavi declared.

Major General Abdollahi also said the Islamic Republic will destroy the Zionist regime, emphasizing that the US and Israel have already failed to achieve their objectives despite deploying their full military capabilities against Iran.

He said available figures indicate that the United States has never deployed such a large quantity of advanced munitions and military equipment in any war over a comparable period. However, he stressed that Washington's failure in its war of aggression against Iran was determined not by the scale of its weaponry or military hardware, but by the resolve and determination of Iranian fighters.

General Abdollahi went on to say that the Armed Forces were duty-bound to stand firm against the enemy, emphasizing that neither the enemy's numerical superiority nor its military capabilities would dictate Iran's decisions.

He identified the spirit of resistance as the decisive factor behind Iran's successes, declaring: "We neither accept the enemy's calculations nor allow them to influence our determination."

Abdollahi also dismissed the statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that either Israel must destroy Iran or Iran would destroy Israel as nothing new.

"It is clear that we will ultimately destroy them," the senior military commander asserted.

He stressed that the Israeli regime and the United States had emerged as the definitive losers on the battlefield.

Abdollahi also warned about future confrontation, saying: "Surprises in the next war will emerge one after another."

Domestic missile production and technological independence

Brigadier General Ali Balali, an adviser to the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, also emphasized the extent of Iran’s self-sufficiency in missile manufacturing, describing the industry as “more indigenous than the making of Persian carpets.”

In an interview marking Aerospace Force Day, Balali traced the development of Iran’s missile industry, highlighting the pioneering role of the late Major General Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, widely regarded in Iran as the founder of the country’s modern missile program.

He said Iran had moved beyond dependence on foreign suppliers and now possessed the expertise and industrial capacity to design and manufacture the various missile systems required by its armed forces.

According to Balali, even the raw materials used in the production of solid- and liquid-propellant fuels are sourced and processed domestically. Iran’s mineral resources and petroleum derivatives have provided an important foundation for achieving independence in this strategically significant sector, he added.

Balali rejected suggestions that Iran’s missile reserves had been exhausted following the second and third wars, arguing that the country's missile industry had reached a level of maturity that allowed production to continue on the basis of domestic resources and infrastructure.

He said Iranian specialists were also developing weapons specifically tailored to operational requirements, rather than merely reproducing existing systems.

As an example, he cited the Hormuz missile designed to engage radar installations by homing in on the electromagnetic emissions they produce.

The system's radar-seeking capability, he said, reflects the progress Iranian specialists have made in developing weapons adapted to the requirements of modern battlefield operations.

Western assessments acknowledge the scale of Iran’s missile capabilities

Iran's missile program has ttracted considerable attention from Western military and security analysts, some of whom have acknowledged the scale, diversity and strategic significance of the country's missile capabilities.

Fabian Hinz, a missile and military technology analyst who has worked with the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), wrote in a June 2025 analysis that Iran possessed a substantial missile force, including shorter-range systems that could be deployed in its immediate neighborhood.

Although Hinz identified vulnerabilities in Iran’s missile stockpiles and production capacity following the June 2025 Israeli attack, his assessment nevertheless underscored the central role of missile capabilities in Iran’s military strategy, particularly given the country's limited conventional air power.

In a separate assessment published in June 2026, Chuck Freilich, a senior researcher at the Middle East Institute and a former Israeli deputy national security adviser, acknowledged that despite substantial damage to Iran's missile inventory and industrial infrastructure during the US-Israeli war, the country retained significant residual capabilities, along with the expertise, infrastructure and motivation needed to rebuild.

Freilich also pointed to Iran's geographically dispersed industrial base, underground missile facilities and mobile launch systems as important elements of the country's capacity to preserve and reconstitute its missile force.

His assessment underscores a central feature of Iran's missile strategy: its military capabilities cannot be measured solely by the number of missiles currently in storage but must also be considered in terms of the industrial infrastructure, technical expertise and production capacity that sustain the program.

Missile capabilities as a pillar of deterrence

Meanwhile, IRGC Ground Force Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Karami praised the Aerospace Force's contribution to Iran's national security, describing its missile and drone capabilities as important elements of the country's deterrence strategy.

In a message marking Aerospace Force Week, Karami said the force's performance during the US-Israeli wars of aggression and in the period that followed had disrupted the adversaries' calculations and frustrated their military ambitions.

He attributed Iran's advances to the efforts of domestic scientists, military commanders and young specialists who had transformed scientific knowledge into practical technologies and turned security challenges into opportunities for technological development.

Karami also highlighted the importance of indigenous expertise, advanced research, and the design and production of sophisticated missile and drone systems in strengthening Iran's defensive and air-defense capabilities.

He paid tribute to those who had lost their lives in the defense of the country, particularly the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and stressed the importance of faith and adherence to the directives of the current Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei.

The latest unveiling and the statements by IRGC commanders come amid continued emphasis by Iran on strengthening its military deterrence through domestic technological development, underground infrastructure, and the ability to maintain production under wartime conditions.