Iran has resumed producing ballistic missiles from existing components while working in underground facilities, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing officials from the United States and the Middle East.
The renewed production threatens to undo what the US and Israel have described as one of the significant achievements of the war, following heavy attacks on Iranian missile sites and industrial infrastructure during its initial phase, according to the report.
Despite the damage to those facilities, Iran has been assembling both liquid-propellant and solid-propellant ballistic missiles, some of the officials told the WSJ.
Liquid-propellant missiles must generally be fueled shortly before launch, while solid-propellant missiles can be stored in a launch-ready state, allowing them to be fired more rapidly.
Reported rebuild became major focus of Israeli operations
The reported rebuilding effort comes after Iran's missile arsenal and production infrastructure became a major focus of Israeli operations.
Israel has previously carried out strikes on targets across Iran in response to Iranian missile attacks, while Tehran has continued to demonstrate its ability to launch ballistic missiles across the region.
Taken together, the developments underscore two continuing challenges facing Washington and its regional partners: efforts to dismantle Hezbollah's independent military infrastructure in Lebanon, and attempts to limit Iran's ability to restore missile capabilities damaged during the war.