US Officials: Iran Maintains Key Military Capability After Strikes

By Staff, Agencies

Multiple US officials familiar with intelligence assessments said Iran continues to retain substantial military capabilities despite several weeks of US and "Israeli" strikes.

The officials told CBS News in a report published Tuesday that White House and Pentagon public statements may underestimate the extent of Iran’s remaining military capabilities following the strikes.

According to three officials, about half of Iran’s stockpile of ballistic missiles and its associated launch systems remained intact at the start of a ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump on April 7.

Officials also said roughly 60% of the naval arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards [IRG] was still in existence, including fast-attack speed boats.

Observers cited Iran’s defiance of US pressure tactics as evidence of its confidence in its defensive and retaliatory capabilities.

In line with Iran’s rejection of US “maximalist demands,” Tehran announced closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz to all traffic, saying it would remain shut unless Washington lifts its naval blockade.

On Wednesday, amid White House claims of “success” in the campaign, the IRG's Navy said it intercepted and redirected two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz for violating regulations, identifying them as the MSC Francesca, linked to "Israel", and the Epaminondas.

The CBS News report, citing US officials, said around two-thirds of Iran’s air force remains operational despite claims that the strikes hit thousands of targets, including storage and production sites, while a Defense Intelligence Agency statement also noted Iran retains the capacity to inflict damage.

"Iran retains thousands of missiles and one-way attack UAVs that can threaten US and partner forces throughout the region," Marine Lt. Gen. James Adams wrote.

However, senior US officials described “Operation Epic Fury” as a decisive success, with Trump claiming, “We’ve taken out their navy, we’ve taken out their air force,” and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth calling it a “historic and overwhelming victory” that “decimated Iran’s military and rendered it combat ineffective for years to come.”

Reacting to such discourse, Iran's highest operational command unit said on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic's Armed Forces enjoyed the upper hand in the face of the adversaries, and, therefore, would not let Trump misrepresent the conditions governing the battlefield.

Major General Ali Abdollahi, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said, "Holding the upper hand, the Armed Forces do not allow the lying and delusional president of the United States to exploit the situation or fabricate false narratives about conditions on the ground, particularly regarding the management and control of the Strait of Hormuz, during periods of silence in military confrontation."