Iran said damage to its missile launchers during a 12-day conflict with Israel was limited, with a senior military official saying less than 3% were destroyed and that Iran’s missile capability remains operational.
Ahmad Vahidi, deputy chief of Iran’s armed forces general staff, said Israel had sought to amplify its performance through media and psychological operations that did not reflect realities on the ground, according to comments aired by Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen television and reported by Iranian media.
“Israel tried to present an image that does not match the reality,” Vahidi said, adding that Israel failed to achieve its objectives during the fighting.
He said Israel managed to destroy “less than 3%” of Iranian missile launch platforms during the conflict and that Iran’s missile force remained active and capable of conducting operations.
Iranian officials have repeatedly sought to play down damage from the fighting and to signal the resilience of the country’s military capabilities, while Israel has said it inflicted significant blows to Iran’s military infrastructure. Neither side’s claims could be independently verified.
The activity involves movements and coordination beyond normal patterns, including Iranian drone, missile and air-defence units, the sources said.
The developments could be linked to military exercises, Western officials with knowledge of the matter told Iran International but added that the scale and synchronization had drawn closer scrutiny.
Intelligence services are tracking command-and-control signals, deployments and logistical movements associated with the IRGC Air Force, the sources said.
The assessments come amid continued tensions between Iran and Western countries over Tehran’s nuclear and missile programs, and speculation about the possibility of renewed Israeli or even US attacks on Iran.
NBC News reported earlier today that Israeli officials are preparing to brief US President Donald Trump on options for possible new military strikes on Iran, citing concerns that Tehran is expanding its ballistic missile program.
Israeli officials believe Iran is rebuilding facilities linked to ballistic missile production and repairing air defenses damaged in a 12-day war in June, which they view as more urgent concerns than nuclear enrichment and fears of Tehran acquiring a nuclear weapon, NBC reported.
Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon but the United States and Western countries want Iran to end uranium enrichment, curb its missile power and rein its aid for armed groups in the region like Hamas and Hezbollah. Tehran has rejected the conditions.
Earlier this month, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dismissed speculations about a possible fresh round of war on Iran, calling it part of “enemy propaganda”.
“Today, beyond these military confrontations — which have existed, as you have seen, and whose likelihood is constantly being talked up, with some even deliberately fanning the flames to create anxiety, though they will not succeed, God willing — we are facing a propaganda and media confrontation,” Khamenei said.
Speaking on Thursday during a visit to South Khorasan province, Pezeshkian said that although Iran had launched missiles during the fighting, Israel’s arsenal proved superior in both quantity and capability.
“It is true that we had missiles, but their missiles were more numerous, more powerful, more precise and easier to deploy,” Pezeshkian said.
He added that it was the people who ultimately frustrated Israel, without elaborating.
Pezeshkian rejected calls for Iran to curb its missile program, framing it as essential to national defense.
“They tell us not to have missiles, while they arm Israel to the teeth so it can come here whenever it wants, raze everything and leave,” he said. “I will not accept that.”
US officials have said any talks with Tehran would hinge on sweeping conditions that include Iran ending uranium enrichment and dismantling key parts of its nuclear program, curbing or accepting limits on its missile program, and rolling back support for regional proxy forces.
The missile issue is politically charged in Tehran after the June conflict, in which Israel relied heavily on layered air and missile defenses – alongside US support – to blunt waves of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, while still suffering some strikes that penetrated defenses.
