Iran Rebuilding Missile Force During Ceasefire, U.S. Intelligence Warns
Despite over 40 days of sustained U.S. and Israeli strikes targeting Iran’s ballistic missile infrastructure, American intelligence and military officials now assess that Iran has recovered significantly more of its pre-war military capability than previously estimated.
According to a New York Times report citing U.S. intelligence and military officials, Iran currently has access to approximately 60% of its pre-war missile launchers. At the time the ceasefire took effect on April 8, Tehran had operational access to roughly half its launcher fleet. In the days that followed, Iranian forces dug out approximately 100 additional systems from caves and underground bunkers, bringing the total back up to the 60% figure.
Beyond launchers, officials estimate Iran is also working to recover buried missile stockpiles. Once that recovery effort is complete, U.S. intelligence assesses Iran could reclaim access to approximately 70% of its pre-war missile arsenal.
Satellite imagery captured on April 10 shows Iranian engineering teams deploying front-end loaders, excavators, and dump trucks at underground missile base entrances near Khomeyn and south of Tabriz. The sites are part of Iran’s extensive network of hardened underground facilities, commonly referred to as “missile cities,” which were designed specifically to absorb initial strikes and allow forces to dig out and rearm.
Analysts at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies noted the recovery activity was expected, stating that ceasefire periods inherently allow adversaries to reconstitute degraded military capacity, and that Iran’s underground missile doctrine was built around exactly this scenario.
An Israeli official separately warned that damage inflicted on Iran “is not irreparable,” and that without a significant diplomatic agreement, military operations may need to resume.
Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran are ongoing ahead of the ceasefire’s expiration.
Source: The New York Times, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Times of Israel