- Iran is rebuilding its military faster than US estimates, including drone production
- Half of Iran’s drone capabilities remain functional despite US-Israeli strikes
- Iran is repairing missile sites, launch gear, and weapon production lines damaged in conflict
Iran is rebuilding its military capabilities that had been degraded by US-Israeli strikes much faster than what was estimated, according to a report by CNN. Amid the truce that was brokered by Pakistan more than a month ago, on April 8, Iran also restarted its drone production – its defining weapon in the ongoing conflict.
Currently, 50 per cent of Iran's drone capabilities still survive.
Sources told the channel that Iran is restoring lost military strength by repairing and replacing missile positions, launch equipment, and the production lines for essential weapons systems damaged in the conflict. This means Iran could prove to be a threat to regional allies again if the war resumes.
"Iranians Have Exceeded All Timelines"
The US intelligence assessments also challenge how significantly US-Israeli strikes have truly set back Iran's military over the long term.
A US official told the channel that Iran could fully restore its drone attack capability by six months.
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"The Iranians have exceeded all timelines the IC (Intelligence Community) had for reconstitution," the official said.
Israel and the Gulf states remain within striking distance of Iran's missiles and drones. With the Islamic Republic's missile production capacity severely degraded, Tehran may increasingly turn to drone warfare as an alternative, which is a threat that regional allies regard with particular unease.
Factors Helping Iran Rapidly Rebuild Military Capabilities
Since the United States and Iran have reached a critical deadlock over the terms of a durable peace agreement, this week US President Donald Trump has even publicly said that he was "an hour" away from launching fresh strikes on Iran.
A source told the channel that Iran has been able to rapidly reconstruct its military capabilities because of a few factors. First, owing to the help it is receiving from China and Russia, and second, because the US and Israel did not damage it as much as they hoped.
China has been helping Iran with components used to build missiles, although that has been restricted because of the US blockade, according to intel.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed during a CBS interview that "China gives a certain amount of support (to Iran) and particular components of missile manufacturing".
"But I can't say more than that," he added.
However, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that allegation was "not based on facts".
Two-Thirds Of Iran's Missile Launchers Survived US-Israeli Strikes
Despite the heavy damage dealt by US-Israeli strikes, recent US intelligence assessments indicate that Iran has retained meaningful ballistic missile, drone, and air defence capabilities, meaning any rebuilding effort would not be starting from scratch.
Last month, the CNN had reported how about half of Iran's missile launchers had survived the strikes by the US. However, a new report has upped the figure to two-thirds after Iran dug out launchers that had been buried in previous strikes.
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"Operation Epic Fury significantly degraded Iran's ballistic missiles and drones while destroying 90% of their defence industrial base, ensuring Iran cannot reconstitute for years," CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper testified before the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
Cooper has said that Iran's defence industrial base has been largely eliminated; however, US intelligence paints a different picture.
