US Intelligence Reports Indicate Iran’s Military Remains Largely Intact

Recent reports suggest that U.S. intelligence officials have determined Iran’s missile capabilities remain largely intact, a situation causing concern among Israeli leaders who fear President Trump may settle for a deal with Tehran that doesn’t meet their expectations.

According to sources familiar with classified intelligence, Iran has successfully rebuilt 30 out of 33 missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz, which remains closed. This information was disclosed to The New York Times.

These details come on the heels of a leaked CIA briefing last week, which indicated that Iran still possesses approximately 70 percent of its missile stockpile from before the conflict and retains 75 percent of its mobile launchers.

This revelation contradicts statements from President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who have claimed that Iran’s missile capabilities were ‘obliterated.’

President Trump has recently expressed his intention to continue military strikes against Tehran, having dismissed a recent proposal for a truce from Iran.

Iran’s remaining military assets include mobile launchers capable of relocating missiles, as well as facilities equipped to launch missiles directly from their platforms.

The regime has gotten back access to around 90 percent of its underground missile storage and launch facilities.  

The President and his administration have continually repeated that Iran’s military has been destroyed and its Navy obliterated.  

At the same time, Israeli leaders are worried that Trump will put an end to the fighting by making a deal that leaves Iran with the capacity to build a nuclear weapon. 

Multiple Israeli sources told CNN that they’re worried Trump may make a deal before addressing many of the issues that led to the war in the first place.  

‘The primary concern is that Trump will grow tired of talks and cut a deal – any deal – with last-minute concessions,’ one said. 

Both the White House and Pentagon have told The Daily Mail the claims are misleading and that the Iran excursion has ‘crushed’ their enemy’s military.  

‘During Operation Epic Fury, Iran was crushed militarily – their ballistic missiles are destroyed, their production facilities are dismantled, their navy is sunk, and their proxies are weakened,’ White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said. 

She said that in addition to all that, the US blockade is costing their economy half a billion dollars per day.  

‘The Iranian regime knows their current reality is not sustainable, and President Trump holds all the cards as negotiators work to make a deal. Anyone who thinks Iran has reconstituted its military is either delusional or a mouthpiece of the IRGC,’ Wales added.

‘America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing,’ said Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. 

‘We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests.’ 

Meanwhile, Acting Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez lashed out at The New York Times.  

‘It is so disgraceful that the New York Times and others are acting as public relations agents for the Iranian regime in order to paint Operation Epic Fury as anything other than a historic accomplishment,’ he said. 

‘We have had incredible battlefield successes, and yet the Fake News media is still trying to undermine the great work of our American troops abroad.’

Earlier Tuesday, it was revealed the Pentagon may be relaunching the war under a new name.

Two US officials told NBC News that plans are being made to change the name of the excursion to ‘Operation Sledgehammer,’ days after Marco Rubio declared ‘Operation Epic Fury’ to be ‘over.’

While other names are under consideration, the rebrand ‘could allow Trump to argue that it restarts the 60-day clock that requires congressional authorization for war.’ 

Meanwhile, Hegseth faced tough questions Tuesday from Republican and Democratic lawmakers about the Trump administration’s end game for the Iran war, the conflict’s rising $29billion cost and its impact on diminishing US weapons stockpiles.

Armed pro-government supporters carrying rifles participate in a military parade of Iran’s self-sacrificing daughters in downtown Tehran

The Pentagon chief softened his tone from hearings before Congress nearly two weeks ago, notably avoiding the same pointed criticism of lawmakers. 

But he got far more pushback from members of his own Republican Party about the levels of US munitions used in the Iran war and Trump’s intense criticism of traditional allies for not taking part in the conflict.

‘I take issue with the characterization that munitions are depleted in a public forum,’ Hegseth said. ‘That’s not true.’

Even as he insisted that the U.S. military has plenty of missile defense systems and other munitions for the Iran war or future conflicts, Hegseth told House and Senate lawmakers overseeing defense spending that the Trump administration is working to ramp up production of weapons. 

Pentagon officials also told lawmakers that the cost of the Iran war has risen to about $29billion, the vast bulk of which – roughly $24billion – is related to replacing munitions and repairing equipment but also includes operational costs to keep forces deployed. 

That is up from the overall total of $25billion that Pentagon comptroller Jay Hurst revealed nearly two weeks ago. 

He said the updated estimate does not include the cost to repair or rebuild US military sites damaged in the region.