The Iranian military has been digging out its remaining missiles and launchers, Pentagon leadership said Thursday as the US Navy’s blockade of Iranian ports continues amid negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
The US and Israel have bombarded Iran’s missile launchers and storage facilities, as well as its defense industrial base. The Pentagon has said that Operation Epic Fury heavily degraded these capabilities.
At a press briefing on Thursday, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that he was aware of Iranian military movements and actions during the ceasefire.
“We know what military assets you are moving and where you are moving them to,” Hegseth said, stating that he was speaking directly to Iranian leadership.
“You are digging out your remaining launchers and missiles with no ability to replace them,” the secretary said. “You have no defense industry, no ability to replenish your offensive or defensive capabilities.”
The US armed forces struck more than 13,000 targets in total during the war against Iran prior to the recent ceasefire agreement.
Earlier this month, the US said that about 80% of Iran’s air defense systems, more than 1,500 targets, had been destroyed during the operation. US officials have also said Iran’s defense industrial capacity has been severely weakened, including 450 ballistic missile storage facilities and roughly 90% of Iran’s weaponry factories in total.
US intelligence has assessed that Iran still maintains an arsenal of missiles and launchers, much of which has been buried. Satellite images show that Iran has been conducting excavation work at some of its missile bases that were hit during the first five weeks of Operation Epic Fury. The exact number of remaining missiles and launchers remains unclear.
SAUL LOEB / AFP
At the beginning of the conflict, Iran launched major missile and drone attacks on US forces and Gulf state allies and partners. Within the first week, those strikes fell by over 90%, but they didn’t stop, suggesting Iran still maintained some capacity despite losing many of its missiles, launchers, and weapons production sites.
At the briefing on Thursday, Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also said the US remained ready to resume combat operations should Iran break the ceasefire or negotiations fail.
The US and Iran began negotiations earlier this month but quickly ran into disagreements over Iran’s nuclear program. One of the Trump administration’s biggest goals in its war with Iran is to stop Tehran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Talks between Washington and Tehran are ongoing, but tensions remain high. The strategic Strait of Hormuz has remained a source of friction. The US has deployed naval forces for mine-clearing efforts and to enforce a blockade on ships traveling to and from Iranian ports.
“An estimated 90% of Iran’s economy is fueled by international trade by sea,” Adm. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command overseeing the Middle East, said on social media. “In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, US forces have completely halted all economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea.”
The US is allowing commercial traffic without links to Iran to pass. Officials say Navy warships can intercept or turn back ships involved in Iranian trade. Iran has warned it could retaliate, calling the US restrictions on maritime traffic illegal.
CENTCOM said Thursday that 14 vessels have complied with military directions to turn around since the US blockade began.
