New satellite images have shown that Iran is developing a tunnel at the Imam Ali military base in Eastern Syria. The satellite images are showing that the West Asian country is building a complex that would store storing advanced weapons systems. As per a report in Fox News, the images as latest as 12th May show bulldozers being used for construction at the entrance of the structure with an estimating width of 15 feet. Similarly, another satellite shot from April 1 showed an excavator and bulldozers where the new construction work has been conducted over the last few weeks.

Iran
Reuters

A civilian satellite company, Image Sat International (ISI) that is based out of Israel has indicated that the tunnel is fit enough for the storage of vehicles carrying advanced weapons systems. The assessment was based on observing similar tunnels that were also dug during the course of the last nine months on the same complex. Notably, Iranians were forced to suspend construction after another facility was bombed in March.

Syrian war
AFP

Similar tunnel networks bombed earlier

The existence of this Iranian military base was reported in September 2019 and a week after the report, the facility located near the Iraq-Syria border was bombed. Interestingly, the Israeli defence forces have targeted multiple Iranian-linked sites in Syria in the last two years but it is yet to claim any such attacks against the Imam Ali base. However, an intelligence report from Mossad, the Israeli secret service indicated that Iran is reducing its footprint in Syria. But the latest development shows that Iran is ready to raise its stake in the Syrian conflict.