Iran Retains Up to 2,500 Missiles Despite US-Israel Strikes, Could Target US Allies if War Resumes: Report
Iran still possesses an estimated 1,500 to 2,500 missiles despite months of military strikes by the United States and Israel, according to a US intelligence assessment cited by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The assessment suggests that Tehran retains significant missile capabilities and could target US military bases and allied positions if hostilities resume in the Middle East.
US officials said the exact number of missiles available to Iran remains uncertain, as it is difficult to determine how many are ready for launch and how many are being held in storage. However, they acknowledged that Iran continues to maintain a substantial missile stockpile. Israeli military officials have also estimated that Tehran possesses more than 1,500 ballistic missiles.
Simone Ledeen, who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Gulf during US President Donald Trump’s first administration, said that even the lower estimate of 1,500 missiles would indicate that Iran had replenished more than half of its estimated pre-war stockpile. She also said Iran had rebuilt its arsenal between the 12-day war in June 2025 and the beginning of the latest conflict in February 2026.
The assessment appears to contradict earlier claims by the Trump administration regarding the extent of damage inflicted on Iran’s military capabilities. Following Operation Epic Fury, the White House claimed in April that more than 85 per cent of Iran’s defence-industrial base had been destroyed, along with much of its ballistic missile arsenal and production capacity.
Despite significant damage to its missile production facilities during US-Israeli strikes, Iran has continued efforts to rebuild its military capabilities. According to US officials, Tehran is using components stored before the war to replenish its missile stockpile, although production is progressing at a slower pace than before the conflict.
Iran also retains a substantial supply of drones and short-range missiles. It has continued targeting US military installations, radar systems and early-warning infrastructure across the Gulf using ballistic missiles and drones.
The attacks have reportedly damaged several American military assets, prompting the relocation of some equipment to Israel, which US and Israeli officials consider a relatively safer location.
Determining the exact size of Iran’s missile arsenal remains challenging because Tehran keeps its military capabilities largely secret. The country operates several missile manufacturing facilities, while the number of additional missiles that can be assembled using components stored in underground facilities remains unclear.
Jim Lamson, a visiting research fellow at King’s College London and a former CIA analyst specialising in Iran’s military, said these factors make it difficult to establish a reliable estimate. Uncertainty over Iran’s pre-war missile stockpile further complicates the assessment.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier claimed that Iran’s missile programme had been severely crippled and that its remaining missile supplies were running low. However, an Israeli military official recently acknowledged that Tehran was rebuilding its arsenal and preparing for another major round of fighting.
Bilal Saab, senior managing director of Washington-based geopolitical risk firm Trends US, said Iran’s military strength should not be measured by the size of its missile stockpile alone. He stressed that the effectiveness of how the missiles are deployed and the tactics adopted by Iranian military commanders are equally important.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering delaying further military strikes against Iran, provided Tehran and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen do not provoke Washington, according to a Reuters report.
Trump has also reportedly shown consideration for Gulf allies, including Saudi Arabia and Turkey, who have urged him not to resume a full-scale war. They believe that economic sanctions and the US naval blockade are already putting considerable pressure on Iran’s economy.
Speaking on Thursday, Trump said, “I could end it immediately, but at the request of the nations that I am looking to protect, we are doing it a little bit longer way, a bit more civilly.”
The latest intelligence assessment of Iran’s missile capabilities raises fresh concerns about the possibility of renewed military confrontation in the Middle East, despite earlier US and Israeli claims of having significantly weakened Tehran’s military strength.
