Iran Keeps 60 Percent of Missile Launchers, US Officials Say

(MENAFN) Iran has preserved a substantial share of its pre-war military capabilities despite sustained weeks of US and Israeli bombardment, with intelligence and military officials warning the country still commands a "powerful deterrent," The New York Times reported Saturday.

According to assessments cited by the newspaper, Iran holds onto "about 40 percent of its prewar arsenal of drones" and "upward of 60 percent of its missile launchers" — figures that signal the strikes have fallen well short of fully neutralizing Tehran's war-fighting capacity.

Adding to concerns, officials revealed that more than 100 launcher systems previously hidden in "caves and bunkers" have been recovered since the onset of a two-week ceasefire on April 8, indicating that Iran is actively working to rebuild its operational readiness. Recovery efforts are also underway to retrieve missiles buried beneath rubble left by strikes on depots and underground facilities, with some projections suggesting Tehran could ultimately reclaim "as much as 70 percent of its prewar arsenal" once those efforts conclude.

Even with its weapons manufacturing infrastructure badly degraded, US officials assessed that Iran retains "more than enough to hold shipping in the Strait of Hormuz hostage in the future" — a warning that carries enormous implications for global trade.

Analysts noted that Tehran's deterrence posture is increasingly anchored in geographic advantage and asymmetric warfare tactics. Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli military intelligence official, put it bluntly: "Everyone now knows that if there is a conflict in the future, closing the strait will be the first thing in the Iranian textbook."

While US naval vessels possess robust interception capabilities, officials flagged a critical vulnerability in the commercial shipping lane, noting that "commercial tankers have few defenses."

Russia also entered the strategic conversation. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the Russian Security Council, offered a pointed assessment: "One thing is certain, Iran has tested its nuclear weapons. It's called the Strait of Hormuz. Its potential is inexhaustible."

Despite the provocation of an ongoing US naval blockade disrupting maritime commerce, Iran has thus far held back from direct escalation against American naval forces. The restraint carries a heavy economic cost — seaborne trade accounts for "roughly 90 percent" of Iran's economic activity, valued at an estimated $340 million per day, much of which has ground to a halt in recent days.

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