Iran’s Missile Launchers Still Firing as Experts Question U.S.–Israel Claims of Major Destruction

Despite claims from Washington and Tel Aviv that Iran’s missile launchers are being systematically destroyed, Tehran continues to strike targets across the region. Experts and analysts warn that the reality on the ground may be far more complex than official statements suggest, highlighting Iran’s strategic advantages in mobility, concealment, and deception.

Conflicting Claims on Iranian Missile Launcher Losses

President Donald Trump has asserted that Iran is “running out” of missile launchers, while Israel maintains that more than half of Tehran’s systems have already been neutralized. Yet continued missile strikes attributed to Iran suggest the picture may not be so straightforward.

Last year, U.S. officials claimed roughly one-third of Iran’s launchers had been destroyed. Iranian reports disputed these numbers, asserting that the actual hit rate was closer to 3%, pointing to potential exaggeration in Western assessments. Analysts note that intelligence and verification gaps often make battlefield claims difficult to confirm independently.

Expert Analysis: Iran’s Advantages in a War of Attrition

Dr. Maria Sultan, an advisor to Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence, told Sputnik that the ongoing conflict is effectively a war of attrition, with Tehran retaining critical advantages.

“U.S. assets are measurable, visible, and extremely costly — even when used for defense,” she said. Yet she acknowledged that U.S. and Israeli strikes that successfully targeted senior Iranian officials indicate occasional intelligence failures on Tehran’s part.

Konstantin Sivkov, a member of the Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences, adds that Iran is actively targeting the “brains” of U.S. and Israeli operations: the target designation, early warning, and decision-making systems. Iranian missile launchers, he explains, are either deployed under extensive air defense protection or hidden in underground shelters, emerging only briefly to fire before relocating.

Mobility, Decoys, and Concealment Complicate Strikes

Military analysts emphasize that Iran’s launchers are highly mobile and widely dispersed across the country. Even if U.S. and Israeli forces detect a launcher, it may have moved by the time a strike is executed. The use of decoys and inflatable dummies further complicates targeting, often drawing fire away from actual assets and inflating reported kill rates.

Reduced launch volumes often reflect extreme operational caution rather than complete depletion. Air pressure from strikes and the need to clear debris from underground tunnels can temporarily slow operations, but missile launches continue.

Historical Parallels and Lessons

Observers note echoes of previous conflicts, where mobile launchers survived sustained bombing campaigns. During NATO’s air operations in Yugoslavia, mobile missile units repeatedly evaded destruction. Similarly, Houthi missile and drone systems in Yemen survived multiple air campaigns despite heavy targeting.

These precedents highlight the difficulty of fully neutralizing mobile and concealed missile systems, even with advanced air power and precision strikes.

Conclusion

While U.S. and Israeli officials maintain that Iran’s missile capabilities are being severely degraded, ongoing strikes suggest Tehran retains significant operational capacity. The combination of mobile launchers, underground shelters, decoys, and dispersed deployment continues to frustrate efforts to completely eliminate Iran’s missile arsenal.

As the war evolves into a war of attrition, observers caution that battlefield realities may not match public claims, underscoring the complexity of modern missile warfare and intelligence operations.