US intelligence officials have reportedly concluded that Iran's missile capabilities have not been decimated, while Israeli leaders worry President Trump might cut a deal with Tehran that falls short of their goals.
Intelligence Findings Contradict Administration Claims
Officials with knowledge of classified intelligence briefings revealed to The New York Times that Iran has rebuilt 30 of their 33 missile sites along the still-closed Strait of Hormuz. That follows a CIA briefing that leaked last week claiming that the regime retains roughly 70 percent of its prewar missile stockpile and 75 percent of its mobile launcher inventory.
The report comes despite assurances from the Trump administration and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Iran's capabilities have been 'obliterated.' Trump has spoken about continuing the strikes on Tehran in recent days after rejecting the latest truce proposal from the Iranians.
Iran maintains use of mobile launchers capable of moving missiles between locations and can send missiles directly from launchpads in their facilities. The regime has regained access to around 90 percent of its underground missile storage and launch facilities.
Israeli Concerns Over Potential Deal
At the same time, Israeli leaders are worried that Trump will put an end to the fighting by making a deal that leaves Iran with the capacity to build a nuclear weapon. Multiple Israeli sources told CNN that they're concerned Trump may make a deal before addressing many of the issues that led to the war in the first place. 'The primary concern is that Trump will grow tired of talks and cut a deal – any deal – with last-minute concessions,' one source said.
White House and Pentagon Rebuttals
Both the White House and Pentagon have told The Daily Mail that the claims are misleading and that the Iran excursion has 'crushed' their enemy's military. 'During Operation Epic Fury, Iran was crushed militarily – their ballistic missiles are destroyed, their production facilities are dismantled, their navy is sunk, and their proxies are weakened,' White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said. She added that the US blockade is costing Iran's economy half a billion dollars per day. 'The Iranian regime knows their current reality is not sustainable, and President Trump holds all the cards as negotiators work to make a deal. Anyone who thinks Iran has reconstituted its military is either delusional or a mouthpiece of the IRGC,' Wales stated.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said, 'America's military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President's choosing.' Acting Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez lashed out at The New York Times, calling it 'disgraceful' that the newspaper is 'acting as public relations agents for the Iranian regime in order to paint Operation Epic Fury as anything other than a historic accomplishment.' He added, 'We have had incredible battlefield successes, and yet the Fake News media is still trying to undermine the great work of our American troops abroad.'
Operation Name Change and Congressional Scrutiny
Earlier Tuesday, it was revealed that the Pentagon may be relaunching the war under a new name. Two US officials told NBC News that plans are being made to change the name of the excursion to 'Operation Sledgehammer,' days after Marco Rubio declared 'Operation Epic Fury' to be 'over.' While other names are under consideration, the rebrand 'could allow Trump to argue that it restarts the 60-day clock that requires congressional authorization for war.'
Meanwhile, Hegseth faced tough questions Tuesday from Republican and Democratic lawmakers about the Trump administration's end game for the Iran war, the conflict's rising $29 billion cost, and its impact on diminishing US weapons stockpiles. The Pentagon chief softened his tone from hearings before Congress nearly two weeks ago, notably avoiding the same pointed criticism of lawmakers. But he got far more pushback from members of his own Republican Party about the levels of US munitions used in the Iran war and Trump's intense criticism of traditional allies for not taking part in the conflict.
'I take issue with the characterization that munitions are depleted in a public forum,' Hegseth said. 'That's not true.' Even as he insisted that the US military has plenty of missile defense systems and other munitions for the Iran war or future conflicts, Hegseth told House and Senate lawmakers overseeing defense spending that the Trump administration is working to ramp up production of weapons.
Pentagon officials also told lawmakers that the cost of the Iran war has risen to about $29 billion, the vast bulk of which – roughly $24 billion – is related to replacing munitions and repairing equipment but also includes operational costs to keep forces deployed. That is up from the overall total of $25 billion that Pentagon comptroller Jay Hurst revealed nearly two weeks ago. He said the updated estimate does not include the cost to repair or rebuild US military sites damaged in the region.
