April 14, 2026 — Satellite Images Show Iran Rebuilding Underground Missile Bases During Ceasefire.
Underground Bases Being Restored
Satellite imagery obtained by CNN on April 14, 2026, reveals that Iran has been actively working to restore access to its underground missile bases during the ceasefire period. The images show front-end loaders clearing rubble from tunnel entrances that were deliberately collapsed by U.S. and Israeli precision strikes during the first five weeks of the conflict.
The underground facilities, known as 'missile cities,' were a primary target of the U.S.-Israeli air campaign. By striking tunnel entrances, coalition forces sought to trap missile launchers underground, preventing them from deploying for attacks. U.S. intelligence estimates that roughly half of Iran's missile launcher fleet remains intact, with many potentially entombed in the damaged facilities.
The restoration efforts highlight a fundamental tension in ceasefire agreements: both sides use the pause to reconstitute military capabilities. 'This aligns with the overall concept of operations for the missile city,' said Sam Lair, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. 'You eat the first attack, dig yourself out, and then launch again.'