Satellite Images Suggest Israel Struck a Major Iranian Missile Plant

New satellite photographs suggest that the Israeli military’s attack on Iran on Saturday struck an array of sensitive military sites, including a major missile production facility.The strikes destroyed air-defense systems set up to protect several critical oil and petrochemical refineries, as well as systems guarding a large gas field and a major port in southern Iran.Israel also struck military bases in the provinces of Tehran, according to Iran’s national air defense.The satellite images from Planet Labs, taken in March and on Tuesday, show the Shahroud Space Center in Semnan Province, which belongs to Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.Fabian Hinz, a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies who has been tracking that site since 2017, said it was used to build solid-propellant rocket motors that can be used in space technology, but which are also commonly used for ballistic missiles.American and Israeli officials have said that the attack was aimed particularly at Iran’s ability to make solid propellant for missiles.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech on Sunday that Israel had struck hard at Iran’s ability to produce missiles and had achieved all of its objectives.Mr.Hinz said he had “high confidence” that the Shahroud facility was used in the mass production of intermediate-range ballistic missiles that could be used to target Israel.

Comparing the images from March and from Tuesday, he said Israel had “bombed the central building, which was associated with solid-propellant rocket production.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe....