Iran’s military is more powerful than the Trump administration has publicly acknowledged, sources say
Washington — The Islamic Republic of Iran maintains more military power than the White House or the Pentagon has publicly acknowledged, according to multiple US intelligence officials with knowledge of the matter.
About half of Iran’s missile arsenal and associated launch systems have remained unchanged since the ceasefire began in early April, three of the officials told CBS News.
About 60% of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ marine arm remains, officials said, including. fast attack boats. Wednesday, Iranian boats were attacked several commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, shortly after President Trump announced that he was inconsistently extending the ceasefire to allow more time for peace talks.
Iran’s air force has been severely damaged but not wiped out, said the officials, who asked CBS News to remain anonymous because they are not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
About two-thirds of Iran’s air force is still believed to be active, officials said, after a heavy-handed US and Israeli campaign struck thousands of targets, including storage and manufacturing facilities.
Earlier, the president and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the US effort, called Operation Epic Fury, as destroying Iran’s military capabilities.
“We took out their navy, we took out their air force, we took out their leaders,” Mr Trump said on Tuesday.
The defense secretary continued in his public statements, saying, “Operation Epic Fury was a historic and spectacular victory on the battlefield, a military victory for capital V,” Hegseth said at a Pentagon press conference on April 8, shortly after Mr. Trump has announced that he will end the war with Iran. He added, “Either way, Epic Fury decimated the Iranian military and rendered the war ineffective for years to come.”
A battle damage assessment shows that the joint operation has destroyed a large part of Iran’s regular navy, according to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity to share classified information with CBS News.
But the IRGC’s naval arm, built for asymmetrical warfare and equipped with many small vessels, remains intact, officials say, and it is that navy that is blocking oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
The head of the Defense Intelligence Agency submitted a written statement before the House Armed Services Committee that said Iran could still do damage.
“Iran maintains thousands of ballistic missiles and one-way attack UAVs that can threaten US and allied forces throughout the region, despite the destruction of its capabilities from cuts and spending,” wrote Marine Lt Gen. James Adams.
Asked to comment on the article, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the war was a success, as more than 13,000 Iranians were killed.
“In less than 40 days, the American military has delivered a series of blows to the Iranian regime,” he said.
Parnell said 92% of the Iranian Navy’s largest ships were destroyed, and some 44 minesweepers were destroyed.
“It was the largest liquidation of the navy in a three-week period since World War II,” Parnell said. “Secretary Hegseth could not be more proud of our military’s decision, and it is clear that the mainstream media is undermining their efforts.”
