Iran's underground arsenal: A new challenge for adversaries
In the face of mounting pressure from the United States and Israel, Tehran—regularly unveiling more or less modern weapons models—announced another military premiere. As it turned out, it was not a new missile or nuclear device but a weapons depot hidden deep underground.
Ballistic missiles, long-range drones, and cruise missiles have remained Tehran's main military assets for years. Iran can threaten Israel with them—as demonstrated in October 2024—as well as American bases in the Middle East.
With Israeli aviation effortlessly neutralizing Iranian defences and operating freely over Iran's territory, Iran must hide its most valuable weapons deep underground.
Buried under approximately 60 metres of earth, it is secured from known non-nuclear means available to Israel and the United States. A video showing—according to Iranian sources—another such shelter was shared online on March 25.
Iranian underground weapons depot
This follows earlier announcements from Tehran, which promised to showcase "military potential that will infuriate enemies." Contrary to earlier speculations, it is not a new model of weaponry but a place where Iranian weapons can be safely stored.
Apart from the film showing long, curved tunnels filled with missiles, Iran has not yet revealed technical details of the showcased base.
Due to its similarity to previously shown shelters—like the "missile city" unveiled by the Revolutionary Guard Corps in February 2025—it can be assumed that this one too is hidden hundreds of feet underground.
How to destroy an underground shelter?
In theory, this provides effective protection against known weapons designed to destroy underground fortifications. The most powerful currently existing is considered to be the American GBU-57 MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator).
This 13,600-kilogram bunker-buster bomb is designed to destroy underground installations. The GBU-57 is over 6 metres long and can be carried by B-2 Spirit aircraft.
Dropped from a high altitude, it provides—according to unofficial estimates—the capability to penetrate 40 metres of solid rock or 60 metres of reinforced concrete. Due to modernization efforts conducted in 2018, the effectiveness of the GBU-57 was reportedly increased, but the Pentagon has not disclosed detailed information on the weapon's capabilities.
