Iran Suspected of Reorganizing Underground Missile Cities During Ceasefire, Repairing Outputs to Restore Combat Power

During a two-week ceasefire, Iran is reportedly clearing debris from its underground missile bases, as seen in satellite imagery reviewed by CNN. Diggers were observed shoveling rubble from in front of blocked missile base entrances and loading it onto nearby trucks. Earlier CNN investigations found that the US and Israel had attacked these base entrances to prevent missile launchers from driving out for launches or returning for reloads. US intelligence assessments indicate that after one month of conflict, Iran still has about half of its missile launchers intact, but many may be buried underground due to collapsed tunnel entrances. Sam Lair, a researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, stated that Iran's efforts to restore access to these bases, colloquially known as 'missile cities,' were expected. He noted that a ceasefire 'means you have to accept that the enemy will rebuild some military capabilities that you just spent a lot of time, effort, and money destroying.' Lair added that this is one of the reasons Iran designed such bases in the first place, 'it fits the overall concept of operations for missile cities: absorb the first wave of attacks, then dig out and launch again.' As Iran accelerates repairs to its underground bases, diplomatic efforts are also advancing. Agence France-Presse and The Guardian reported that a Pakistani official anticipates that the US and Iran will soon restart a new round of negotiations, though the process might take a day or two longer than US President Donald Trump's stated 'next couple of days.' Islamabad authorities are working to arrange meeting dates, hoping to leave sufficient time for negotiations before the two-week ceasefire ends on the 22nd of this month. (Compiled by: Tsai Chia-min) 2026-04-15