Up to one third of Iran's missiles and drones have been destroyed, another third of the missiles are unavailable for use, but Tehran still has significant stockpiles of weapons, according to American intelligence.
The United States can confidently confirm that since the beginning of the war between the U.S. and Israel against Iran, only about one third of Iran's missile arsenal has been destroyed. This was reported on Friday, March 27, by the news agency Reuters, citing five sources familiar with American intelligence data, as noted by DW.
According to the agency's sources, the situation regarding another third of Iran's missiles remains unclear: they are either damaged, destroyed, or buried under rubble in bunkers and tunnels after bombings. One of Reuters' sources claims that U.S. and Israeli strikes have also destroyed up to one third of the drones available to Tehran.
At the same time, intelligence assessments indicate that Iran still possesses a significant stockpile of missiles suitable for attacks, the agency reports. Once hostilities cease, the country will be able to restore some of the damaged and buried missiles.
Reuters notes that the U.S. has not disclosed intelligence data on how many missiles Iran may have had at the start of the war. Representatives of the Israeli military command have stated that Tehran possessed 2,500 ballistic missiles capable of reaching Israeli territory.
Trump: Even One Percent of Iran's Missiles Poses a Danger
The day before, U.S. President Donald Trump, discussing the situation with the Strait of Hormuz effectively blocked due to hostilities and fluctuations in oil prices during a Cabinet meeting, stated that Iran has "very few missiles" left, but that is not enough. "We say we have destroyed 99 percent (of their missiles). One percent is unacceptable because 1 percent is a missile hitting a billion-dollar ship," lamented the U.S. president.
Democratic Party member and Iraq war veteran Seth Moulton, in a conversation with Reuters, refuted Trump's claims of nearly complete destruction of Iran's arsenal. "If Iran is smart, it has preserved some of its capabilities - it does not use everything it has. And it is preparing for an ambush," the politician concluded.
Israeli military officials believe that approximately 70 percent of missile launch systems located in the country have been destroyed during the war with Iran. However, destroying the remaining 30 percent of the systems will be "difficult."
The U.S. and Israel's War Against Iran
Israel and the U.S. began their war against Iran on the morning of February 28, launching massive strikes on targets within its territory. The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and a number of high-ranking officials and security personnel were killed. Ali was succeeded by his 56-year-old son Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public or made video addresses since the war began nearly a month ago.
Since the onset of hostilities, Trump has repeatedly claimed that the U.S. has "already won" in Iran, but at the same time sought assistance from NATO countries in the operation, interspersing this with insults towards allied countries and threats. By the end of March, the American leader began to assert that Tehran "really wants to make a deal" and is reaching out to him with requests, while in Iran, the conduct of substantive negotiations with the U.S. is denied.
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