Fox News: Iran’s Underground Missile Site Nearly Operational
Fox News reported on Wednesday, March 18 that satellite images accessed by the network show an underground missile site in “Khourgo” in Hormozgan Province has nearly reached operational status following the construction of new missile launch positions.
According to the report, this missile site is located approximately 800 kilometers from Kuwait, which hosts over 13,000 American troops, and less than 320 kilometers from the United Arab Emirates, a major U.S. partner. Additionally, a senior analyst from “Intel Lab” told Fox News that given the geographical position of this site, if the site becomes fully operational, “neutralizing it with conventional means would not be easy.”
The satellite images referenced were provided by Maxar Technologies.
Fox reported in its coverage that construction of this ballistic missile site began three years ago but has accelerated in recent months, with launch positions enabling rapid deployment of two ballistic missiles.
Recently, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported on the presence of senior Revolutionary Guards commanders at a new “missile city” and the unveiling of new military equipment.
It is unclear whether the Fox News report refers to this unveiled missile city or not, but the Islamic Republic’s missile programs were among the reasons that led President Trump’s administration to withdraw from the nuclear agreement and have been repeatedly cited as an international concern by former U.S. government officials.
The Biden administration says that after returning to the agreement, it is willing to negotiate, with the accompaniment of European allies, other Iranian issues including the missile program. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said on February 19: “The 2015 Iran nuclear agreement is the floor of our demands and not the ceiling, and we want to go beyond the JCPOA and make it longer-term and more robust, and on that basis, we will put in place arrangements that address other issues of concern regarding Iran; concerns that we share with our allies and partners, including the ballistic missile program.”
Previously, 140 members of the House of Representatives from both Republican and Democratic parties called on President Biden to pursue a comprehensive agreement with Iran that covers not only nuclear activities but also other destabilizing activities of the Islamic Republic, including missile programs.
