Israel assesses that Iran still has more than 1,000 missiles capable of reaching it, while Hezbollah's arsenal in Lebanon includes as many as 10,000 shorter-range rockets, according to military briefings cited by Israeli media this weekend.
In an interview with Channel 12, an Israeli air force officer provided the tally of remaining Iranian ballistic missiles in what appeared to be an official break from earlier refusals to disclose estimates of Tehran's arsenal. The estimate of 8,000 to 10,000 rockets in Hezbollah hands was reported by Israel's Army Radio.
Given the current rates of fire by Iran and its ally Hezbollah, more than five weeks into the conflict, the estimates imply potentially months more fighting — even though Israel and the US insist their core objectives are being achieved. Iran and Hezbollah don't comment on the size of their weapons caches. Neither has shown signs of backing down.
“A great deal of resources would have to be invested to bring that down to zero. In all honesty, I have to tell you that it won't reach zero,” the air force officer, an intelligence lieutenant-colonel whose name was withheld under customary regulations, said of Iran's ability to keep firing.
Iran before the war was believed to have about 2,000 intermediate-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching Israel, two senior Israeli officials told Bloomberg earlier on condition of anonymity. More than 500 have since been launched at Israel and others destroyed on the ground, according to the IDF.
Tehran is firing missiles from dozens of tunnel silos in remote mountain regions that are proving hard to destroy preemptively, the air force officer told Channel 12. “I'm not sure we're capable of doing much more” to stem the salvoes, he added.
Israel is waging a parallel campaign in neighboring Lebanon to drive back Hezbollah, Tehran's guerrilla ally, which reignited that front with cross-border rocket salvoes two days after the Iran war erupted. As many as 200 to 250 rockets have been launched each day, most of them directed at Israeli troops crossing into southern Lebanon.
The rockets that have reached into northern Israel have kept tens of thousands of civilians mostly confined to bomb shelters around the clock — scenes played out for central city-dwellers as well, albeit at lesser frequency, from the Iranian missiles.
The IDF said it was fine-tuning its launch-detection technologies to give Israelis within range of Hezbollah rockets more time — often measured in seconds — to seek shelter.
Elsewhere, there are attempts to restore a measure of normalcy.
The Education Ministry said it expects this week to announce a gradual return to in-person school studies. The Israel Airports Authority is boosting the number of passengers on outbound flights, and cinemas have resumed screenings, in accordance with IDF restrictions on assembling in public.
Israel on Sunday said continued Iranian attacks would be answered with strikes aimed at eroding its national infrastructure and the Islamic Republic regime's ability to function. US President Donald Trump has threatened to target Iran's bridges and power plants as early as Tuesday.
An IDF spokesperson confirmed the figure for Hezbollah's remaining rockets, which was reported by Army Radio.
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