The United States can confidently say it has destroyed only about a third of Iranian missiles, Reuters reported March 27, citing five anonymous sources familiar with US intelligence.
About a third of the missiles, according to the agency’s interlocutors, were damaged, destroyed, or became under rubble in tunnels and underground bunkers.
One source said intelligence had received similar information about drones, with some confidence that about a third of Iranian drones had been destroyed.
Intelligence assessments indicate that Tehran still possesses a large stockpile of missiles and may be able to recover some missiles that are currently damaged or inaccessible after the end of hostilities.
The Pentagon said Iran has reduced the number of missile and drone strikes by 90% since the start of the war. US Central Command said that 66% of Iran’s ability to produce missiles and drones was damaged or destroyed. The leadership did not specify the number of Iranian missiles and drones that were destroyed during the war.
A Reuters correspondent said it was difficult to determine how many missiles Iran had before the war. The United States did not disclose such data. The Israeli army believes that before the war, Iran had 2,500 ballistic missiles capable of reaching Israel.
A senior Israeli military official said that more than 335 missile launchers, or nearly 70% of Iran’s missile capabilities, were “neutralized” during the war. Israeli officials believe that it will be difficult to destroy the remaining 30% of Iranian missile capabilities.
The White House did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
American officials said at the beginning of the war that they were seeking to weaken Iran’s armed forces by destroying its navy, missiles and drones, and preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that Iran no longer has almost any missiles or drones. The last time he spoke about this on March 26, he said Iran had “very few missiles left.”