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Original article: Trump dijo que arrasó con Irán, pero CBS revela que gran parte de su arsenal sigue intacto
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump asserting that Iran’s military capabilities have been nearly annihilated following weeks of conflict, CBS News has revealed that a significant portion of the Islamic nation’s arsenal is still intact.
«I have eliminated their navy, I have eliminated their air force, I have eliminated their leaders,» the Republican mogul declared on Tuesday, referencing the controversial war against Iran, which commenced on February 28 alongside Israel.
However, citing a group of U.S. officials with intelligence on the military conflict, CBS News indicated that the Persian nation maintains more military capabilities than the White House or Pentagon has publicly acknowledged.
Three officials informed the U.S. media outlet that approximately half of Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and associated launch systems remained intact at the onset of a ceasefire agreed upon between Washington and Tehran in early April, a measure that was extended unilaterally by the White House occupant for another two weeks, just before it was set to expire.
Two-Thirds of Iran’s Air Force Remain Operational
According to CBS, officials pointed out that 60% of the naval component of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) still exists. This force retains fast attack boats that currently disrupt tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
«On Wednesday, Iranian boats attacked several commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, shortly after President Trump announced he was extending a ceasefire unilaterally to allow more time for peace talks,» the U.S. media highlighted.
According to the officials, who requested anonymity as they are not authorized to comment publicly on these matters, the capabilities of Iran’s air system have been impacted during the aggression by the U.S. and Israel, but not eliminated.
They noted that approximately two-thirds of Iran’s air force remains operational, despite continuous bombings by Washington and Tel Aviv against key infrastructures of the Persian nation, including storage and weapon production facilities.
Alongside Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that the so-called «Epic Fury Operation» launched by the U.S. has destroyed Iran’s military capacity.
«The Epic Fury Operation has been a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield, a military victory with a capital V (…) it decimated Iran’s military forces and rendered them incapable of combat for years,» Hegseth said at a Pentagon press conference on April 8, shortly after the ceasefire was agreed upon.
Nevertheless, one of the officials shared confidential information with CBS News, revealing that while combat damage assessments show that the joint operation between Washington and Tel Aviv has destroyed much of Iran’s conventional navy, the naval branch of the IRGC, designed for asymmetric warfare and equipped with many smaller vessels, remains partially intact.
It was highlighted that this navy is the one that is disrupting oil shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic route through which 20% of the world’s crude and liquefied gas is traded.
«Iran Retains Thousands of Missiles»
In addition to the officials’ testimony, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, James Adams, provided a written statement ahead of a hearing with the U.S. House Armed Services Committee in which he acknowledged that Iran can still inflict damage on the North American nation.
«Iran retains thousands of missiles and one-use attack drones that can threaten U.S. and allied forces throughout the region, despite the degradation of its capabilities, both through wear and expenditure,» admitted the lieutenant general of the Marine Corps in the text submitted to CBS.
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