Iran is reconstituting its military capabilities that were degraded by the US-Israeli bombing campaign much faster than expected and is already producing new drones, CNN reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with US intelligence.
One US official told the outlet that some US intelligence estimates indicate Iran could fully rebuild its drone capabilities within six months. “The Iranians have exceeded all timelines the IC had for reconstitution,” the official said.
The other work Iran has done includes replacing missile sites, launchers, and production capacity for other weapons systems. Other US media reports have said that the US believes Iran has access to 70% of its missile launchers and maintains about 70% of its pre-war missile stockpile.
A US official told The Washington Post earlier this month that evidence indicates Iran has also been able to repair some damaged missiles and assemble some new missiles that were nearly complete when the US and Israel launched the war.
The reports have painted a starkly different picture from what the Trump administration has claimed publicly, and the continued leaks suggest there is discontent within the Pentagon and elsewhere within the administration over the idea of restarting the bombing campaign, since Iran will have the capability to launch significant counterattacks.
If the US and Israel do restart airstrikes, Iran would likely respond with major strikes on oil infrastructure in the Gulf Arab states, which would significantly exacerbate the global economic crisis already caused by the war and the rising gas prices in the US.
