NATO Intelligence Agencies Believe Iran Still Retains Most of Its Missile Stockpile and Facilities

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 17 - British media disclosed on the 16th that NATO intelligence agencies believe Iran still retains most of its pre-war stockpiled missiles and related launch and storage facilities, sufficient to continue confronting the United States for several months.

The British Independent reported, citing informed sources, that intelligence held by NATO indicates that Iran still possesses 60% of its pre-war missile stockpile. According to intelligence held by the United States, 90% of Iran's missile launch sites and munitions depots are still operating partially or at full capacity.

On May 7, people participated in a rally in Tehran, the capital of Iran. Photo by Xinhua reporter Shadati

Last week, the Washington Post also reported, citing three current U.S. intelligence officials and one former intelligence official, that Iran's missile stockpile remains at 70% of the level before the outbreak of hostilities. Iran is believed to have had approximately 2,500 ballistic missiles before the conflict. The report stated that there is evidence indicating that Iran has been able to restore and reopen nearly all underground storage facilities, repair some damaged missiles, and even complete the assembly of some new missiles that were nearly finished before the conflict.

U.S. intelligence assessed in early April that more than half of Iran's missile launch systems are intact, and its arsenal contains at least thousands of one-way attack drones.

On the 6th of this month, U.S. President Trump stated at the White House that, under the strikes from the U.S. and Israel, most of Iran's missile stockpile has been destroyed, possibly leaving only 18% to 19%. The Washington Post believes that U.S. intelligence assessments of Iran are often "more measured" than the public statements of the U.S. government. (Wang Hongbin)