An anti-regime group revealed a secret Iranian missile storage site, increasing regional tensions.

The People's Mojahedin of Iran (MEK) has given Planet Chronicle Digital information about a secret site where Iran allegedly stores and prepares missiles for use against enemies, allies and proxies.

The Shahid (Martyr) Soltani Garrison, situated in a mountainous region outside of Eshtehard City, northwest of Tehran in Alborz province, is heavily guarded and enclosed by two rows of barbed wire. According to the MEK, the camp has experienced an increase in activity in the latter part of 2024, with more than ten trailers carrying missile parts entering the camp in July.

The MEK stated that among the weapons stored at the site are the Shahab-3, Qiam, Fateh and Fath series ballistic missiles.

According to Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, after the "layered attack" on Israel in April, which involved approximately 300 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, the Islamic Regime eliminated its low- and slow-flying assets and intensified its focus on ballistic weapons. On October 1, Iran launched over 180 ballistic missiles into Israeli airspace.

Iran employed the same liquid-propellant systems in its October attack, including the Emad and Ghadr ballistic missiles, which are advancements of the Shahab-3. Additionally, the Kheibar Shekan solid-propellant missile was also involved in the attack, as well as the hypersonic Fattah-1 ballistic missile, according to Taleblu. An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson confirmed to Planet Chronicle Digital that Iran's recent attacks included the Fattah-1 and Fattah-2 hypersonic ballistic missiles.

In the larger Oct. 1 attack on Israel, two U.S. destroyers intercepted approximately a dozen Iranian missiles. Despite requests for information from Planet Chronicle Digital, neither the Pentagon nor the Defense Intelligence Agency responded about whether American assets have been targeted by the varieties of Iranian ballistic missiles said to be housed at the Eshtehard site or whether the U.S. has intercepted any of these missiles in the region.

The U.S. deployed its THAAD system and 100 soldiers to Tel Aviv to safeguard Israel from Iranian ballistic missile attacks. According to Taleblu, THAAD will enhance Israel's existing air-missile defenses, but with only 48 interceptors, its long-term effectiveness is questionable.

The Shahid Soltani Garrison may or may not have stored or prepared ballistic missiles targeting Israel, and it is unclear whether the short-range ballistic missiles Iran provided to Russia, which led to U.S. sanctions against Iran, were kept there.

The MEK's satellite imagery revealed two sections of the Shahid Soltani Garrison, with above-ground storage sites established at least 15 years ago. These include a one-floor warehouse and a three-floor warehouse, providing a combined 6,500 square meters of storage space. Additionally, around 10 buildings in another segment of the garrison offer an additional 3,000 square meters of space. Underground tunnels constructed on the site between 2017 and 2021 offer more storage locations.

The Al-Ghadir Missile Command, a unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Aerospace Force, is in charge of the camp, according to the report. IRGC Brig. Gen. Partovi was the last known commander of the site. The MEK claimed that Col. Mohammad Reza Hakimzadeh and Col. Barati of the Eshtehard Corps of the IRGC are responsible for administrative affairs related to the camp.

In 2010, the Al-Ghadir Missile Command was penalized by both the U.S. and the EU. Additionally, commanders within the Al-Ghadir Missile Command, including Mahmoud Bagheri Kazemabad and Mohammad Agha Jafari, were also subjected to U.S. sanctions.

On November 21, 2023, an Iranian-backed militia fired an unknown close-range ballistic missile at Al Asad Air Base, causing eight injuries and damage to infrastructure.

On January 8, 2020, Iran launched 27 theater ballistic missiles towards Al Asad Air Base. Out of these, 11 Fateh and Qiam missiles landed inside the U.S. base, according to a medical study of the attack's effects. The impact of the missiles resulted in approximately 35 cases of traumatic brain injury or concussion.

Taleblu stated that countering Iran's ballistic missile program will require a multi-faceted approach, including economic and political measures such as targeting Iran's trade with China, disrupting its supply chain for the entire ballistic missile lifecycle, and imposing travel bans and sanctions on individuals involved in the program. These efforts, when combined with covert or kinetic operations, can effectively hinder the missile program.

To deter Iranian weapons, harden U.S. bases, and ensure that the elements of deterrence by punishment are understood and credible, Taleblu emphasized the importance of maintaining advanced missile defense systems.

Alireza Jafarzadeh, the deputy director of the National Council of Resistance of Iran's Washington office, shared a different approach with Planet Chronicle Digital. He stated that "true democracy in Iran and peace and tranquility in the region depend on the regime's downfall, a responsibility that lies with the Iranian people and their organized resistance."

"According to Jafarzadeh, the Iranian regime's survival is contingent on exporting terrorism and aggression while oppressing the Iranian people. He emphasized that "decades of appeasement have emboldened this dictatorship," and therefore, the terror designation of the IRGC and Ministry of Intelligence and Security should be enforced. Jafarzadeh also recommended that supporting the Iranian youth and Resistance Units to confront the IRGC are critical steps that the United States and European nations must adopt."