Iran maintains significant missile launching capability, US intel says

According to the assessments, about half of Iran’s missile launchers remain intact, even after five weeks of near-daily attacks. One source warned that Iran continues to pose a serious threat across the region.

Some of the remaining launchers may currently be unusable, including those buried underground by strikes but not fully destroyed, the sources noted.

The intelligence also suggests that Iran retains thousands of one-way attack drones, representing roughly 50 percent of its original drone capacity. Additionally, a significant share of Iran’s coastal defense cruise missiles is believed to be intact. These systems have largely avoided direct targeting, as US operations have not primarily focused on coastal assets, although some strikes have hit vessels.

These cruise missiles are considered a critical component of Iran’s ability to threaten maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

The intelligence offers a more nuanced picture of Iran’s continuing capabilities compared to sweeping assessments of military victory offered publicly by President Donald Trump and administration officials.

In remarks to the nation on Wednesday evening, Trump said Iran’s “ability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed, and their weapons factories and rocket launchers are being blown to pieces, very few of them left.”

As of Wednesday, the US has struck more than 12,300 targets inside Iran, according to US Central Command. The sources said the intelligence showed the US military has degraded Iran’s military capabilities, and key senior leaders have been killed in US and Israeli strikes, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Ali Larijani, the head of Iran’s National Security Council.

In addition to the country’s missile launchers, Iran maintains a large number of missiles, according to the intelligence.