Iran still holds half of pre-war missile arsenal - report

Iran’s efforts to rebuild its missile forces have continued despite U.S. and Israeli attacks on its weapons factories, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials.

American intelligence agencies estimate that Tehran has between 1,500 and 2,500 missiles, according to the Journal. That stockpile would give Iran considerable capacity to strike US forces and regional allies should widespread fighting break out again.

Officials cautioned that the figures carry a low degree of confidence. Tracking missiles across storage facilities and launch sites remains difficult, making it hard to establish how many weapons Iran could deploy. Nevertheless, officials told the newspaper that Tehran’s remaining firepower is substantial.

Iran has sustained its rebuilding effort largely by drawing on stored components, the Journal reported. Damage to manufacturing facilities has reduced the pace of production, while drones and short-range missiles provide Tehran with additional options for attacks.

The IDF has broadly estimated similar missile amounts to the American assessment, putting Iran’s ballistic missile inventory above 1,500 - although estimates across the region differ.

Simone Ledeen, a former senior Pentagon official responsible for Middle East policy during President Donald Trump’s first administration, told the Journal that even an inventory of 1,500 missiles would represent more than half of Iran’s estimated prewar arsenal.