United Arab Emirates, Dubai —— Satellite images analyzed by Associated Press on Thursday showed that Iran may have conducted an undisclosed missile test at its Imam Khomeini Space Center. This highlights that, despite a 12-day war with Israel in June, Tehran continues to work on its weapons programs.
This satellite image from PBC Planet Laboratory shows the scorched launch pad at Iran's Imam Khomeini in Semnan Province on Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Article content: Iran has not officially acknowledged the test carried out last week at a circular launch pad, which has hosted other major launches for the country's civilian space program. However, a member of the Iranian parliament claimed without providing evidence that Tehran tested a possible intercontinental ballistic missile.
This test and related statements have raised concerns that Iran may be trying to expand the range of its missiles. The situation remains tense as United Nations sanctions are about to be implemented — sanctions that are likely to come back into effect this weekend due to Tehran's nuclear program. At the same time, Iran is also repairing missile bases attacked by Israel.
Behnam Ben Taleblou, an analyst at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said: "The victory of Israel in the 12-day war targeting Iranian missile attacks has made Tehran more aware of the importance of developing more ballistic missiles and better versions of them." This think tank has long been critical of Iran and has been sanctioned by Tehran.
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