On October 26, Israel launched a series of attacks targeting Iranian military sites, including missile manufacturing facilities and air defense systems. Reports indicate that strikes hit at least 12 “planetary mixers” used for producing solid fuel for long-range ballistic missiles, which significantly crippled Iran’s missile production capabilities.
According to a report by The Guardian, Israeli sources disclosed to Axios that this operation was aimed at removing key components of Iran’s missile program, specifically noting that these mixers are highly complex devices that Iran cannot produce independently and has to rely on imports from China.
A senior U.S. official corroborated this, stating that the attack effectively weakened Iran’s missile production capabilities.
Further details from Axios suggest that Israeli airstrikes also targeted a drone manufacturing plant and delivered what was described as a “symbolic” strike against a facility in Parchin, located near Tehran, which has historically been linked to nuclear weapons development.
Reuters reported that two American researchers independently assessed commercial satellite imagery, indicating that Israel’s airstrikes on October 26 directly impacted buildings integral to the mixing of solid fuel for ballistic missiles, thereby “significantly hindering Iran’s capacity for mass missile production.”
David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector and head of a research group at the Institute for Science and International Security, along with Decker Eveleth, a senior research analyst at the CNA think tank, confirmed to Reuters that Israel targeted large military bases in the vicinity of Tehran, namely Parchin and Khojir, the latter being a missile production site.
Eveleth noted that satellite imagery from Planet Labs shows that Israel struck two buildings at Khojir, which is known for housing facilities for mixing solid fuel for ballistic missiles. The imagery reviewed by Reuters indicates that these structures are surrounded by high earth mounds, a design typically associated with missile manufacturing, aimed at preventing explosions from igniting flammable materials in nearby buildings.
He emphasized, “These industrial mixers are complex to manufacture and are subject to export controls. Iran has spent heavily over the years to acquire many of these, and finding alternatives will likely be challenging now.”
Additionally, satellite imagery concerning Parchin reveals that Israel successfully destroyed three facilities for mixing solid fuel for ballistic missiles along with one warehouse. Albright pointed out that two of these were specifically dedicated to the mixing activities.
He also mentioned that approximately 320 meters away from these buildings lies a site previously identified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and U.S. intelligence as a key location for Iran’s comprehensive nuclear weapons development program, which Iran officially shuttered in 2003 and continues to deny any current intentions to pursue.
