Israel targets Iran’s underground missile sites as its war in Iran moves into a reported second phase focused on ballistic missile bunkers and equipment buried deep below ground, according to sources familiar with the campaign.
The joint US-Israeli air assault is nearing the end of its first week, after opening strikes triggered a wider regional conflict, with attacks and retaliatory launches reported across Israel and parts of the Gulf and Iraq, alongside Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
Israel’s military has said it hit hundreds of Iranian missile launchers above ground that could target Israeli cities. Sources say the next phase includes targeting underground storage bunkers and related infrastructure used to store ballistic missiles and equipment.
In a Thursday statement, Israel’s military said the air force struck an “underground infrastructure site” used to store ballistic missiles, as well as missile storage intended for use against aircraft.
Why underground targets matter now
Analysts note Iran’s underground “missile cities” have long been designed to protect stockpiles from attack. But as sorties intensify, strikes near entrances and launch areas can limit Iran’s ability to move, ready, and fire missiles—even if some weapons remain stored in tunnels.
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Estimates of Iran’s missile stockpile vary, and what remains could influence whether Tehran sustains launches or shifts tactics as the conflict evolves.
Israeli fighter jets have flown near-constant sorties since the operation began, and the pace accelerated after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel, followed by heavy Israeli airstrikes extending as far as Beirut, according to the source account.
Israeli and US officials also say ballistic missile and drone launches from Iran have declined since the opening days of the conflict, attributing part of the drop to strikes on launch sites and supporting infrastructure while also noting Iran may be conserving stocks for a longer war.
