Three senior Iranian officials confirmed the recently released satellite images which showed major expansions happening at two major Iranian ballistic missile facilities – according to a report published by U.S. News & World Report. 

The images taken by commercial satellite firm Planet Labs show more than 30 buildings pop up at two sites located near Tehran – the Modarres military base and the Khojir missile production complex. 

American officials assessed that the new structures are for boosting missile production, as some are associated with the missile production process and also to ones to prevent a blast in one building to spill over to another and detonate combustible materials in other buildings. 

The Iranian expansions have been ongoing at Khojir missile production complex in August 2023 and at Modarres military base in October 2023. 

The enlargement of the sites follows an October 2022 deal in which Iran agreed to provide missiles to Russia, which has been seeking them for its war against Ukraine. Tehran also supplies missiles to Yemen's Houthi rebels and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, both members of the Iran-backed Axis of Resistance against Israel, according to U.S. officials.

Three Iranian officials who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter told Reuters that the two facilities are being expanded to boost production of conventional ballistic missiles. 

"Why shouldn't we?" said one official. 

Another official said some of the new buildings would also allow drone manufacturing to double. Drones and missile components would be sold to Russia, drones would be provided to the Houthis and missiles to Hezbollah, the source added.