CNN: Half of Iran’s missile launchers remain intact

Recent United States intelligence assessments indicate that Iran retains substantial missile launching capabilities, with roughly half of its missile launchers remaining intact following five weeks of daily United States and ‘Israeli’ strikes on military targets.

Thousands of one-way attack drones also persist in Iran’s arsenal, according to three sources familiar with the intelligence shared with CNN.

One source familiar with the assessment stated, “They are still very much poised to wreak absolute havoc throughout the entire region.”

The evaluation accounts for launchers that may be inaccessible, including those buried underground by strikes but not fully destroyed.

In addition to the launchers, Iran maintains a large number of missiles, while approximately 50 percent of its drone capabilities remain operational.

A significant portion of the country’s coastal defense cruise missiles is also intact, posing potential risks to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

This nuanced intelligence picture contrasts with more optimistic public statements from the Trump administration.

In remarks to the nation on April 1, President Donald Trump asserted that Iran’s “ability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed, and their weapons factories and rocket launchers are being blown to pieces, very few of them left.”

As of April 1, the United States Central Command reported strikes on more than 12,300 targets inside Iran, which have degraded military capabilities and resulted in the deaths of key senior leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s National Security Council.

Pentagon officials have emphasized reductions in Iranian attacks rather than the destruction of assets.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth noted that ballistic missile attacks against United States forces had declined significantly, with similar decreases observed for one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicles.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the administration’s position, stating that “Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks are down 90 percent, their navy is wiped out, two-thirds of their production facilities are damaged or destroyed, and the United States and Israel have overwhelming air dominance over Iran.”

‘Israeli’ military officials provide a somewhat lower estimate, assessing operational Iranian launchers at approximately 20 to 25 percent.

This discrepancy arises because ‘Israeli’ counts exclude launchers buried or rendered inaccessible in caves and tunnels, unlike the United States assessment.

President Trump indicated on April 1 that United States operations could conclude within two to three weeks.

However, a source who reviewed the assessment described to CNN this timeline as unrealistic, remarking, “We can keep f**king them up, I don’t doubt it, but you’re out of your mind if you think this will be done in two weeks.”

The assessment also notes that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval forces retain roughly half their capabilities, including hundreds to thousands of small boats and unmanned surface vessels, which continue to threaten regional shipping.