Breaking News : Hundreds of Iranian Missile Launchers Wiped Out but 150 Still Active as US and Israel Intensify Hunt
The United States and Israel have destroyed hundreds of Iranian ballistic missile launchers during ongoing military operations, but Iran still retains a significant number capable of launching strikes. According to defense assessments, Iran originally possessed around 460 ballistic missile launchers, and despite sustained air strikes and intelligence operations, roughly 150 launchers remain operational, meaning nearly 30 percent of the original force is still active.
US and Israeli air forces have maintained continuous operations targeting missile infrastructure across Iran. With effective air dominance, the coalition has conducted extensive reconnaissance and strike missions aimed specifically at eliminating Iran’s ability to launch ballistic missiles. However, despite advanced surveillance capabilities including satellites, drones, reconnaissance aircraft, and dozens of fighter jets operating over Iranian territory, locating and destroying mobile missile launchers has proven extremely difficult.
The remaining launchers are often concealed in tunnels or underground facilities. Iranian forces are reportedly attempting to clear debris from these tunnel systems to restore launch capabilities, while Israeli forces continue targeting the sites to prevent the systems from being brought back online. The destruction of command centers, headquarters, storage facilities, launch sites, and senior commanders has already significantly disrupted Iran’s missile operations.
Israeli military leadership has indicated that the campaign to neutralize Iran’s missile launch capability could continue for up to a month, warning that ending operations too early might allow Tehran to rebuild its missile forces quickly with possible assistance from countries such as China and North Korea.
Despite heavy losses, Iran continues launching ballistic missiles not only toward Israel but also toward countries in the Gulf region. However, the pace of these attacks has slowed considerably compared to earlier stages of the conflict.
Data released by the United Arab Emirates shows that about 238 Iranian ballistic missiles had been launched toward the UAE by March 8, with the highest daily count reaching 17 missiles in a single day.
Military analysts note that destroying the remaining launchers may actually take longer than the first phase of the campaign. Iran appears to have adapted its tactics after losing a large portion of its launch systems and command infrastructure, making the remaining launchers harder to locate and strike.
Source: Defence UA / Defense Express