WASHINGTON : A secret CIA assessment has found that Iran still retains approximately 75 percent of its mobile missile launchers and 70 percent of its missile stockpile despite weeks of heavy U.S. bombing, directly contradicting President Donald Trump’s recent assertions that most of Iran’s missile capabilities have been destroyed, according to an American newspaper that obtained the report.
The intelligence document raises new questions about the president’s optimistic statements regarding an early end to the conflict, as it paints a picture of a far more resilient Iranian military than previously acknowledged.
According to the report, Iran has reactivated its underground missile sites, repaired damaged missiles, and continued producing new weapons even under sustained aerial bombardment. The findings suggest that Tehran retains significant offensive capacity to strike back at U.S. assets and regional allies.
The assessment also concludes that Iran could withstand a U.S. naval blockade for at least three to four months before facing severe economic pressure — a timeline longer than some administration officials had privately estimated.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Wednesday, President Trump offered a starkly different assessment, telling reporters that “most of Iran’s missiles have been destroyed — perhaps only 18 or 19 percent remain.”
The CIA report, described as a classified internal evaluation, directly undercuts that claim. U.S. officials have since confirmed that Iran’s resilience has proven greater than the CIA’s own initial projections, forcing analysts back to the drawing board.
Neither the White House nor the CIA immediately responded to requests for comment on the apparent discrepancy.
