Iran is accelerating efforts to rebuild and expand its missile and drone launch capabilities following recent U.S. and Israeli strikes, according to statements attributed to a senior military official.
Majid Mousavi, commander of the aerospace division of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, said the country is now updating and replenishing its launch systems at a faster pace than before the conflict, according to remarks carried by Nournews, an outlet affiliated with the Iranian government.
The statement was released alongside an edited video purportedly showing Mousavi inspecting an underground missile facility. The footage includes images of drones, missiles, launch systems, and apparent ground-based missile launches from subterranean sites. The video’s authenticity could not be independently verified.
The comments come after a wave of U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28, which aimed in part to degrade Iran’s missile infrastructure. Assessments of the campaign’s effectiveness appear to differ. A recent report by The New York Times cited U.S. intelligence officials as estimating that Iran retains access to roughly 60 percent of its missile launchers.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week that the joint bombing campaign had “functionally destroyed” Iran’s missile program and left its military “combat ineffective for years to come.”
Other U.S. officials, cited by The Wall Street Journal, offered a more cautious view, suggesting Iran may be able to recover some of its capabilities by repairing or excavating launch systems that were damaged or buried during the strikes.
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