The Israeli Air Force struck the Parchin military complex in Iran on Thursday, targeting one of the country’s largest and most sensitive defense industry sites.
The complex houses major heavy military industries, including facilities involved in the production and storage of warheads, engines and various systems used in Iran’s missile and munitions programs. The site also contains installations for the repair and maintenance of equipment used in Iran’s heavy military industry.
The strike is considered a significant blow to Iran’s military industry as the facility serves as a central hub for the development, production and maintenance of strategic components for Tehran’s weapons systems.
The Parchin base, located about 30 kilometers (18 miles) southeast of Tehran, has long been identified as a site combining ballistic missile development and production with sensitive activities linked to Iran’s nuclear program.
Conventional weapons tests were carried out at the facility, which according to a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency more than a decade ago were connected to the development of a nuclear explosive device. The experiments involved conventional explosives designed to compress fissile nuclear material simultaneously and with extreme precision to trigger a nuclear reaction.
Israel has previously struck the Parchin complex at least twice. In October 2024, Israel targeted the site in response to an Iranian ballistic missile attack. During that strike, critical facilities used to mix solid fuel for long-range missiles were destroyed, a blow that intelligence assessments said significantly delayed Iran’s production capabilities. Reports at the time also said the attack damaged a building that had previously been used for research and development of nuclear-related components.
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Satellite images show damage Parchin military complex in Iran after an Israeli attack, October 2024
(Photo: Planet Labs Inc./Handout via REUTERS)
Damage at the base was also recorded during last June's 12-day war, although the Israeli military at that time focused mainly on other Iranian nuclear and missile facilities that had not previously been targeted.
The strike on Parchin is part of what Israeli officials describe as the “next phase” of the war, announced by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and the head of U.S. Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper.
Under that phase, Israel and the United States aim to severely damage Iran’s military industry. Their objective is to dismantle Iran’s entire chain of military capabilities — from manufacturing to finished weapons.
In the case of ballistic missiles, the goal is to disrupt the entire process, from production plants and missile storage facilities to launchers and the commanders and troops who ultimately operate them. Israeli and U.S. forces intend to apply this approach to Iran’s broader military capabilities, including by using American bombers capable of penetrating targets buried deep underground.