Posted on 03/27/2026 8:12:06 AM PDT by Miami Rebel
The United States can only determine with certainty that it has destroyed about a third of Iran’s vast missile arsenal as the US-Israeli war on the country nears its one-month mark, five people familiar with the US intelligence tell Reuters.
The status of around another third is less clear but bombings likely damaged, destroyed or buried those missiles in underground tunnels and bunkers, four of the sources say. The sources speak on condition of anonymity given the sensitive nature of the information.
One of the sources says the intelligence was similar for Iran’s drone capability, saying there was some degree of certainty about a third having been destroyed.
The United States can only determine with certainty that it has destroyed about a third of Iran’s vast missile arsenal as the US-Israeli war on the country nears its one-month mark, five people familiar with the US intelligence tell Reuters.
The status of around another third is less clear but bombings likely damaged, destroyed or buried those missiles in underground tunnels and bunkers, four of the sources say. The sources speak on condition of anonymity given the sensitive nature of the information.
One of the sources says the intelligence was similar for Iran’s drone capability, saying there was some degree of certainty about a third having been destroyed.
The assessment, which has not been previously reported, shows that while most of Iran’s missiles are either destroyed or inaccessible, Tehran still has a significant missile inventory and may be able to recover some buried or damaged missiles once fighting stops.
The intelligence stands in contrast to US President Donald Trump’s public remarks yesterday that Iran has “very few rockets left”. He also appeared to acknowledge the threat from remaining Iranian missiles and drones to any future US operations to safeguard the economically vital Strait of Hormuz.
The Pentagon and White House do not immediately respond to requests for comment.
US strikes have hit more than 10,000 Iranian military targets as of Wednesday and, according to Central Command, have sunk 92 percent of the Iranian navy’s large vessels.
Still, Central Command has declined to state precisely how much of Iran’s missile or drone capability has been destroyed.
One source says part of the problem is determining how many Iranian missiles were stockpiled in underground bunkers before the war started. The US has not disclosed its estimate of the size of Iran’s pre-war missile stockpile.
One senior US official voices skepticism about the United States’ ability to accurately assess Iran’s missile capabilities, in part because it is unclear how many are underground and accessible in some way. “I don’t know if we’ll ever have an accurate number,” the official says.
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Anonymous sources. Figures.
Straight from Tehran Ted’s mouth.
When they stop shooting missiles that will be tell the tale.
I've seen that Israel has marked IRGC CHECKPOINTS for destruction. THIS is VERY important and special emphasis be placed on this particular target. If IRGC checkpoints can be eliminated, THEN firearms can be smuggled to the citizenry to assist in suppressing the IRGC street threat.
May God bless and protect our troops.
“that will tell the tale”...
Would think that Mossad and the CIA, given the dissatisfaction and Iranians have for this murderous regime have not been able to pinpoint the sites these missiles and the personnel making and firing them.
“The sources speak on condition of anonymity given the sensitive nature of the information.”
Of course they do.
Duly noted. Weighted appropriately, which is to say same as the other anonymously-sourced cow chips out in the pasture.
I’ve never heard them claim of destroying a percentage of the missiles. Only that 372 of 424 missile launchers were destroyed. Or some number close to that!
What good is a missile without a launcher?
Kind of like a bullet without a gun.
The launchers are easily rebuilt. It’s a flatbed trailer with an arm. My guys in the yard could build one from what we have in scrap.
“five people familiar with”
apparently the greater the number of fake anonymous sources, the more the fake news can pretend a rumor is news ...
Mission creep.
“The launchers are easily rebuilt. It’s a flatbed trailer with an arm. My guys in the yard could build one from what we have in scrap.”
The guidance system is typically located within the missile itself, not on the launcher. However, the launcher may have systems to assist in targeting the missile.
Times of Israel translation: Keep fighting for us.
Poor intelligence and/or lack of strategic targeting planning, or combination of the two. The U.S. has certainly expended enough munitions to have destroyed or disabled more than 1/3 of Iran’s missile and drone arsenals, so not having done so by now requires (1) admission of an error/miscalculation and (2) use of DOD forced acquisition of additional armament production facilities, plus (3) more B-52 mass bombings over wide areas to destroy whole areas of suspected Iran munitions activity. One snide characterization of the situation could be said as “the pin point strategic targeting has been a pin prick so far”. We need to go “scorched earth”.
While this may be bs, now that we started this war without regime change Iran will just purchase more missiles and we will be back where we started.
Not if we blow up Kharg island.
five people familiar with the US intelligence tell Reuters? Wow, I am familiar with US Intelligence and I don’t agree. And I can get at least 10 people to agree with me. So, do I win the BS award?
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