Iran still has up to 2,500 ballistic missiles despite US-Israeli strikes, US intelligence estimates show.By World Israel News StaffUS intelligence agencies estimate that Iran retains between 1,500 and 2,500 ballistic missiles despite months of American and Israeli military operations aimed at destroying its missile capabilities, according to a report published Sunday by The Wall Street Journal.The assessment, based on information provided by American officials, indicates that Tehran retains substantial offensive capabilities and has been rebuilding its arsenal using components stockpiled before the war.Although US and Israeli strikes inflicted extensive damage on Iranian missile production facilities, officials said Tehran has managed to resume manufacturing weapons, albeit at a significantly slower pace than before the conflict.The intelligence assessment carries a low level of confidence because of the difficulty of determining how many missiles remain operational, how many are in storage and how many can be recovered from underground facilities.Nevertheless, American officials believe Iran possesses enough missiles to threaten US military installations and American allies across the Middle East if large-scale fighting resumes.Israeli military officials have reached similar conclusions, estimating that Iran retains more than 1,500 ballistic missiles.The findings follow a separate Bloomberg report last week citing Western intelligence estimates that Iran is producing approximately 50 ballistic missiles per month, roughly half its prewar production rate.That report estimated that Tehran had at least 1,700 ballistic missiles remaining, despite having launched more than 2,200 since the US and Israel began their joint offensive on February 28.Simone Ledeen, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East during President Donald Trump’s first administration, told the Journal that even the lower estimate would indicate Iran has restored more than half its estimated prewar missile arsenal.The apparent recovery contrasts with repeated statements by Trump administration officials claiming that Iran’s missile program had been effectively destroyed.In April, the White House declared that the American military had struck more than 450 ballistic missile targets and approximately 800 drone targets, claiming that “Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and production capacity has been razed.”However, an October report by the Congressional Research Service cited a Defense Intelligence Agency assessment indicating that Iran retained thousands of missiles and attack drones capable of threatening American and allied forces throughout the region.According to the Journal, Iranian forces have also improved their ability to strike American military facilities, radar installations and early-warning systems, partly through more sophisticated tactics combining ballistic missiles and drones.The US has responded by relocating several military assets to Israel, which officials consider a safer location than some American bases elsewhere in the Middle East.Iran’s underground missile infrastructure has also complicated efforts to eliminate its arsenal.American and Israeli strikes collapsed entrances to facilities housing missiles and related equipment, but subsequent satellite imagery indicated that Iran had excavated some of the blocked entrances and restored access.An Israeli official told the Journal that missiles stored inside those facilities likely survived the attacks.Last week, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps unveiled another underground missile complex containing ballistic and cruise missiles and their launch systems.The announcement followed a declaration by IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi that Tehran had abandoned its self-imposed 2,000-kilometer limit on the range of its ballistic missiles.“This limitation has been lifted for us,” Mohebbi announced at a news conference in Tehran.The renewed intelligence assessments come amid growing disagreements between Washington and Jerusalem over whether to resume major military operations against Iran.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly urged Trump to launch additional strikes, arguing that Tehran is rebuilding its military capabilities and preparing for another confrontation.Mossad director Roman Gofman traveled to Washington on Friday for discussions with CIA Director John Ratcliffe and was also expected to meet White House envoy Steve Witkoff, according to Axios.Trump, however, has resisted Israeli pressure for another major offensive, preferring to maintain economic sanctions and a naval blockade while exploring the possibility of a negotiated settlement.Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Persian Gulf states have also urged Washington to avoid renewed large-scale fighting, warning that Iranian retaliation could destabilize the region.Speaking Thursday, Trump explained his decision to continue applying pressure rather than immediately resume military operations.“I could end it immediately,” he said, adding that regional allies had asked him to proceed more cautiously.Nevertheless, Trump suggested during a Veterans Day ceremony Wednesday that the United States had not yet achieved all its objectives.“We want to make sure we have a total victory, not a 93 percent victory. It’s going to be total,” he declared.An Israeli official quoted by the Journal warned that Iran was “rebuilding and rearming” despite the damage inflicted on its military infrastructure, raising concerns that another round of fighting could involve a substantially replenished Iranian missile arsenal.The post Iran has 2,500 ballistic missiles in arsenal, US intel believes appeared first on World Israel News.