US Intel: Iran Quickly Restores Missile Sites Despite Bombings

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: New York Times

US intelligence reveals Iran is rapidly repairing missile bunkers and retaining launch capabilities despite weeks of US and Israeli bombardment.

US intelligence assessments indicate that Iran is rapidly restoring missile bunkers and launch sites bombarded by the US and "Israel," raising questions about Washington’s claims of weakening Tehran’s military capabilities.

According to the New York Times, reports indicate that Iranian crews have been digging out underground missile bunkers and silos hit by airstrikes and returning them to operation within hours, allowing continued missile launches despite sustained bombardment.

Despite five weeks of US-led aggression, Iran has retained a significant portion of its missile arsenal and mobile launchers, intelligence officials said.

The Pentagon has claimed major progress, stating that more than 11,000 targets have been struck across Iran since the start of the war. However, intelligence assessments suggest that Iran still possesses enough launch capability to strike regional targets, including “Israel.”

US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, have pointed to a decline in Iranian missile and drone attacks as evidence of success. “Yes, they will still shoot some missiles, but we will shoot them down,” Hegseth said, adding that recent days have seen the lowest number of launches since the war began.

The White House has also claimed that Iranian missile and drone attacks have dropped by 90%, while alleging that Iran’s navy has been destroyed and much of its production capacity damaged.

Underground networks preserve Iran’s capabilities

Despite these claims, US intelligence indicates that Iran has adapted its strategy by shielding launchers in tunnels, bunkers, and caves, limiting their exposure to airstrikes.

Iran is believed to be preserving its missile capacity to sustain pressure if the war continues or to maintain deterrence after it ends.

US intelligence assessments indicate that half of Iran’s missile launchers remain intact, and thousands of one-way attack drones are still in the country’s arsenal, despite five weeks of daily US and Israeli bombings, sources familiar with the intel told CNN.

“They are still very much poised to wreak absolute havoc throughout the entire region,” one source said.

Continued missile and drone strikes despite reduced arsenal

Even with a reduced arsenal, Iran continues to carry out strikes. US and Western officials estimate that Iran has been launching:

Intelligence gaps complicate assessment

Assessing Iran’s actual capabilities remains difficult. US officials acknowledge uncertainty due to the use of decoy launchers, the limited accuracy of pre-war launcher estimates, and the difficulty of verifying the destruction of buried or concealed launch systems.

Even when underground sites appear destroyed, intelligence suggests Iran has been able to restore and reuse them quickly, complicating US efforts to eliminate its missile capabilities.

Previous reporting indicated that Iran may still retain up to half of its missile launchers, a figure broadly consistent with current intelligence ranges, though officials say precise numbers remain unclear.

Reports also suggest Iran has used heavy equipment, including bulldozers, to reopen buried launch sites and resume operations.