The New York Times reported that Iran can restore its military facilities within hours after being targeted by US and Israeli strikes.
According to classified US intelligence reports cited by the newspaper, Iranian military personnel rapidly clear debris from underground missile shelters hit by bombs and return them to operational status. Tehran also maintains large stockpiles of missiles and mobile launch platforms.
While the Pentagon and White House claimed tangible progress, citing over 11,000 Iranian targets hit during the five weeks of the war, US intelligence officials questioned how close Washington is to achieving its central goal of dismantling Iran’s missile capabilities.
Officials familiar with the intelligence stressed that Iran still possesses an effective operational capacity to launch missile strikes toward the occupied Palestinian territories and regional states.
Iran conceals launch sites and uses decoys
US officials highlighted that accurately assessing Iran’s capabilities is difficult, as Tehran employs numerous decoys and fake targets, complicating verification of which launch platforms have been destroyed.
The officials noted that Iran hides its missile platforms in underground shelters and caves to preserve its offensive capacity, enabling it to maintain pressure during the war and maintain a military edge once it ends.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Iran has used bulldozers to recover buried missile platforms, while CNN indicated that Tehran still retains roughly half of its launch sites despite sustained strikes.
Iran military system efficient, capable
Iran’s military system continues to operate efficiently and remains under clear control, Israeli Channel 13 reported, highlighting that Tehran is capable of directing fire accurately toward specific areas within "Israel," while Hezbollah's operations continue in parallel.
“We have witnessed multiple interception attempts against Israeli Air Force planes over Iran, reminding us that there is an active and capable adversary,” the report said, despite repeated claims by US President Donald Trump that Iran’s air force, radars, and air defense systems had been neutralized.
Brigadier General Alireza Elhami, commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base, confirmed that Iranian air defenses monitor enemy fighter jets and drones with precision. He noted that Iran possesses the capability to shoot down fifth-generation fighter jets and advanced drones using modern domestic technology and equipment, as demonstrated.
Elhami asserted Iranian air defense systems have successfully destroyed a number of advanced fighter jets and shot down more than 160 drones of various types, including MQ-9, Hermes, and LUCAS, as well as dozens of cruise missiles, emphasizing that precise timing and execution of defensive measures prevented enemy attacks and countered false propaganda.
US jet fighters downed in Iranian airspace
On Friday, Iranian forces successfully struck two US warplanes over Iranian territory, dealing a sharp blow to Washington’s aggression and exposing the true cost of the American escalation.
The downed aircraft included an F-15E Strike Eagle and an A-10C Thunderbolt II, both critical tools in the US war machine. The F-15E, designed for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, represents decades of American military investment, costing over $31 million in 1998 constant dollars.
Newer F-15 models can approach $100 million each. The A-10C, specialized for close air support, adds another $9.8 million to the tally, highlighting the financial and human cost of US aggression in the region.
US officials confirmed that one crew member has been rescued, while the other remains missing. The incident underscores the vulnerability of US forces despite claims of “overwhelming military superiority.”
Source:Websites
