US admits only one‑third of Iran’s missiles destroyed, intelligence sources say

WASHINGTON (MNTV) — U.S. officials have acknowledged that, after nearly a month of its and Israel’s military campaign against Iran, American intelligence can only confirm the destruction of about one‑third of Iran’s missile arsenal, according to sources familiar with classified assessments shared with Reuters. 

The disclosure undercuts public statements from U.S. leadership and highlights the persistent resilience of Tehran’s capabilities.

Sources told Reuters that the fate of roughly another third of Iran’s missile stockpile remains uncertain, with many weapons believed to be damaged, buried in underground bunkers, or otherwise inaccessible rather than definitively eliminated. 

A similar assessment applies to Iran’s drone forces, where only a fraction can be confidently said to have been neutralized.

The internal estimate stands in stark contrast to remarks by Donald Trump, who publicly asserted that Iran had “very few rockets left” amid preparations to safeguard the critical global oil route through the Strait of Hormuz. 

U.S. defense officials have also touted impressive figures on targeting fabrication facilities, but these do not necessarily translate into the wholesale destruction of Iran’s operational arsenal.

A Pentagon spokesman told reporters that Iranian missile and drone operations are down by about 90 percent since the offensive began, and that U.S. Central Command believes it has damaged or destroyed more than two‑thirds of Iran’s weapons production infrastructure. 

Critics argue such assessments are designed to obscure the reality that Tehran retains significant capacity and can continue striking neighboring states and U.S. interests.

Democratic Representative Seth Moulton, a Marine Corps veteran, disputed Trump’s public portrayal of the campaign’s impact, saying Iran has preserved key capabilities and is deliberately withholding some weapons for future use.

Israeli military estimates suggest that Tehran possessed roughly 2,500 ballistic missiles capable of striking Israel before the conflict, with around 70 percent of launchers “neutralized,” though officials have not publicly quantified how many missiles remain. 

Independent analysts say eliminating the remaining portion will be difficult because Iran has dispersed its arsenal into hardened, subterranean facilities.

Despite sustained bombardment, Iran has demonstrated it still retains offensive capability. On Thursday alone, Iranian forces launched ballistic missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates, underscoring that Tehran’s capacity to strike abroad has not been extinguished. 

Tehran also recently fired long‑range missiles toward the Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean, revealing evolving and persistent threats.

Experts say intelligence limitations, especially regarding weapons stored deep underground, mean Washington may never fully know the true extent of Iran’s stocks. 

French scholar Nicole Grajewski, an expert on Iran’s missile forces, said Iran’s ability to continue operations from heavily bombed sites suggests U.S. claims of degradation may be overstated, adding that multiple large underground facilities could still shelter missiles and launchers.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has acknowledged the challenges posed by Iran’s use of tunnels and hardened sites, comparing them to insurgent networks, even as U.S. officials insist their campaign is systematically targeting Tehran’s military infrastructure.

The acknowledgment that only one‑third of Iran’s missile arsenal can be confirmed destroyed raises questions about the effectiveness of the U.S.-Israeli strategy and its broader implications for regional stability, even as civilian populations and energy markets feel the reverberations of an expanding conflict.