On February 10, 2019, IRINN TV (Iran) aired a report on Iran's underground "missile cities" that provide missiles for Iran's launchers and silos. The reporter said that the ballistic missiles are the "residents" of these cities and that they are "keepers of the calm" that are "ready to roar." He also said that the "cities" are built 500 meters underground and cannot be detected by enemy intelligence satellites. Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the deputy commander of the IRGC, said that Iran has huge stockpiles of ballistic missiles that can strike any range and that are ready to be fired. General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the IRGC's aerospace force, said that there are thousands of IRGC members who sit around the clock with their fingers on the triggers of the missiles, and that the arsenal includes many different kinds of missiles. Explaining that the missiles constitute the most important part of Iran's defense doctrine, the reporter said that many of Iran's missiles are aimed at American aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf. He added: "If the foreigners make any mistake, [the missiles] will burst from the belly of the Earth like lava and will cause a fire that cannot be extinguished." For an Iranian TV report about an underground missile factory, see MEMRI TV Clip No. 7007 IRGC Unveils Dezful Smart SSM, Top-Secret Underground Missile Factory; IRGC Commander Jafari Says Iran's Ability to Deter Is "Certain", February 7, 2019.
To view the clip on MEMRI TV, click here or below.
"We Have Huge Stockpiles Of Ballistic Missile Systems For All Ranges That Are Ready To Be Fired At Any Given Moment"
Reporter: "The cities of Iran are not just familiar names like Tehran, Mashhad, Shiraz, Isfahan, Tabriz, Hamadan, Kermanshah, Sanandaj, Maku, and Sarakhs. In this country, there are cities that are unknown – like the people who built them. These cities can be found anywhere in Iran. They were built in order to achieve calm on the day they will be needed. They are called the missile cities. Starting with the Sejjil, Shahab, and Ghiam missiles, and ending with the Fath, Naze'at, Khalij-e-Fars, and Hormuz missiles, as well as dozens of other names. They are all residents of these cities."
General Hossein Salami: "We have huge stockpiles of ballistic missile systems for all ranges that are ready to be fired at any given moment."
Reporter: "These cities were built so Iran can remain safe and calm. The residents of these cities are the keepers of this clam, and in order to do their job, they are ready to roar."
[...]
"They Are So Deep That They Cannot Be Traced By Enemy Intelligence Satellites"
"The residents of the missile cities do not care who disrupts Iran's calm and where: Whether [the target] is in Deir ez-Zor, Abu Kamal, or the headquarters of the Komala Party in Iraq, the fingers are always on the triggers."
General Amir Ali Hajizadeh: "We have thousands of IRGC members who sit around the clock in front of these systems, with their finger on the trigger."
Reporter: "The IRGC missile cities have always been and forever will be one of Iran's mainstays of power. They were built 500 meters underground. They are so deep that they cannot be traced by enemy intelligence satellites."
[...]
"Many Of The Residents Of These Cities Are Precise Ballistic Missiles, The Targets Of Which Are The Huge Aircraft Carriers That Are Showing Off In The Persian Gulf"
"The missile cities are one of the main factors behind the preservation and increase of the Islamic Republic's defensive and offensive power. The IRGC has deployed different types of its missiles at different parts of the country. These missiles have the ability to strike the enemy at any time. Many of the residents of these cities are precise ballistic missiles, the targets of which are the huge aircraft carriers that are showing off in the Persian Gulf.
"The main job of these cities, apart from securing hundreds of thousands of missiles is to provide missiles for the various types of Iranian launchers and – especially – for the underground silos."
General Amir Ali Hajizadeh: "Look, we have every type of missile: Short-range missiles, long-range missiles, liquid fuel missiles, and solid fuel missiles... In all aspects, we have reached the pinnacle.
[...]
"We will not hesitate for a moment to maintain and expand this capability."
Reporter: "Iran's missile cities and launching silos are valuable achievements, made possible by martyrs like the father of Iran's missile [program], Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam. Today, on the 40th anniversary for the victory of the Revolution, one can say that expanding the country's military capability is undoubtedly one of the most important defense strategies of the Islamic Republic in the face of all threats. It constitutes the country's primary defense doctrine. According to this doctrine, we never start any war, but if the foreigners make any mistake, the residents of the underground cities will burst from the belly of the Earth like lava, and will cause a fire that cannot be extinguished."
