US intelligence findings are said to differ from official claims about Operation Epic Fury’s effectiveness
Around half of Iran’s missile launchers and kamikaze drones remain intact despite a month of US-Israeli strikes, CNN reports, citing a military intelligence assessment.
The report, published on Friday, says Iran still possesses a considerable stockpile of missiles, citing three sources familiar with classified findings. Earlier reporting by Reuters also indicated that Tehran’s capabilities may be less degraded than publicly stated by US officials.
CNN claimed that some Iranian weapons could currently be inaccessible, as US and Israeli strikes have targeted the entrances of a tunnel network used to conceal them, which Tehran had built in preparation for bombings.
In addition, Iran is believed to retain much of its short-range cruise missile arsenal positioned along the coastline. It also claims to have “hundreds, if not thousands” of small vessels and surface drones, which could be deployed against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has effectively restricted passage for unauthorized vessels through the chokepoint as part of a broader strategy to increase economic pressure on US allies and global markets.
According to CNN, these maritime assets have not been a primary focus of US operations, which have concentrated on longer-range systems capable of threatening Israel and Gulf states.
A Reuters report last week cited US intelligence as saying only around one-third of Iran’s long-range missiles and drones had been verifiably destroyed. Israeli military officials, however, estimated that 70% of Iran’s launch capacity had been “neutralized.”
US President Donald Trump and senior Pentagon officials, including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, continue to claim that Operation Epic Fury is achieving significant success, with long-range launches reportedly reduced by 90% since the operation began in late February.
Responding to questions about the intelligence assessments, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told CNN that “anonymous sources desperately want to attack President Trump” and question the operation’s achievements.
The Pentagon is reportedly rife with internal disagreements. On Thursday, several outlets reported that Hegseth had dismissed multiple high-ranking officials, including General Randy George, the Army’s top officer. A similar reshuffle occurred in February, shortly before the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran.
