The vast majority of Iran’s stocks of missiles and mobile launchers were not destroyed in the US-Israeli offensive launched on 28 February and remain at the disposal of the regime in Tehran, some US media reported on Tuesday, citing dpa, Agerpres writes.
The New York Times reports, citing classified assessments by US intelligence agencies from the first half of May, that Iran is still believed to hold about 70% of its mobile launchers and about 70% of its pre-war missile stockpile.
Tehran has restored access to most of its underground missile bases, as well as to 90% of its underground facilities and launchers, according to the same newspaper.
The Washington Post presented similar percentages last week, citing a confidential US intelligence report. The report quoted an American official as saying that Iran still has about 75% of the stock of mobile launchers it had before the war and about 70% of its missiles.
In addition, the report said there were indications that the Iranian leadership had managed to bring almost all of its underground storage facilities back into operation, repair some damaged missiles and even assemble several new ones.
According to the New York Times, some senior US officials were particularly alarmed by evidence that Iran had restored access to most of its missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz. A fragile ceasefire is currently in force in the conflict in Iran, and negotiations to end the war are deadlocked.
US President Donald Trump again criticised the media on Tuesday on his Truth Social platform for their coverage of the conflict with Iran.
“When Fake News says the Iranian enemy is doing well militarily against us, that is virtual TREASON, in that it is a false and even absurd statement. They help and support the enemy,” Trump said, without specifying which media report he was referring to.
The reports published by the New York Times and the Washington Post stand in sharp contrast to the way the US administration presents Iran as being largely militarily defeated following the war launched by the US and Israel at the end of February.
source – AGERPRES
