Half of Missile Launchers and Thousands of Iranian Drones Still Operational: US Intelligence

Recent US intelligence assessments indicate that Iran still possesses roughly half of its missile launchers and thousands of attack drones despite weeks of intense airstrikes by the United States and Israel.

According to officials familiar with the intelligence cited by CNN, the strikes have damaged Iran’s military infrastructure but have not fully eliminated its ability to launch missiles and drones across the region.

The assessment suggests that nearly 50 percent of Iran’s one-way attack drone capabilities remain intact, along with a large number of missile launchers.

Some launchers may currently be buried underground by airstrikes, but are not considered fully destroyed.

The conflict has seen more than 12,300 targets struck inside Iran by US forces, according to the United States Central Command.

Military operations have also killed several senior Iranian leaders, including Ali Khamenei and Ali Larijani.

However, intelligence officials say Iran continues to maintain significant military assets, including coastal defense cruise missiles capable of threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil transit routes.

US officials have highlighted a sharp reduction in Iranian attacks rather than the destruction of its arsenal.

According to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, ballistic missile and drone attacks on US forces have dropped by about 90 percent since the start of the conflict.

Meanwhile, the administration of Donald Trump maintains that US and Israeli strikes have severely weakened Iran’s military capabilities.

White House officials say Iranian naval forces have been largely destroyed, and many weapons production facilities have been damaged.

Despite those claims, analysts say Iran’s long-standing network of underground tunnels and caves has allowed it to protect mobile missile launchers and other equipment, making them difficult to locate and destroy.

Military experts also note that the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps still retain a large number of small boats and unmanned surface vessels that could threaten shipping in the region.

The intelligence assessment highlights that although Iran’s capabilities have been significantly degraded, the country still maintains enough weapons and platforms to continue military operations and pose risks to regional security.