US intelligence suggests Iran regained access to nearly 70% of missile launchers
| Published: May 12, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump traveled to Beijing on Wednesday for talks without having reached an agreement to end the war with the Islamic Republic.
Despite a range of issues expected to be discussed between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, including trade and economic policy, Taiwan, and technology, the Iranian conflict is also expected to feature prominently.
China buys nearly 80% of Iran’s oil, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted China’s energy market. Trump is expected to press China to encourage Tehran to accept a deal more closely aligned with U.S. interests, which could lead to the reopening of the Hormuz and the potential easing of some sanctions on Iranian oil sales.
At the same time, recent reports indicate that Trump is unsatisfied with Iran’s response to the U.S. peace proposal, calling the Iranian counteroffer “unacceptable.”
According to Ynet News, President Trump is weighing two options for the situation in Iran: a limited military operation aimed at further weakening the regime, or a temporary agreement meant to continue negotiations, while reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
It is believed that if Trump pursues a limited military operation, the U.S. would maintain its blockade on vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports. At the same time, the U.S. would likely request Israel not to participate, for fear that Israeli strikes could lead to a resumption of full-scale war.
The Israeli government is preparing for either option, including the possibility that U.S. strikes on Iran may trigger new attacks against Israel. Israeli leaders reportedly believe Trump will not decide until he returns from Beijing.
Israeli Defense officials reportedly prefer to resume operations in Iran until all military objectives have been achieved, with a particular focus on Iran’s ballistic missile industry.
U.S. intelligence believes the Islamic Republic has regained access to as many as 70% of its missile launchers, according to The New York Times, despite claims by President Trump that Iran’s military has been severely degraded. Military intelligence agencies assess that Iran “has regained access to roughly 90% of its underground missile storage and launch facilities nationwide.”
Recent reporting by both the NYT and the Washington Post indicates that Iran retains about 70% of its prewar missile stockpile, including both ballistic and cruise missiles.
Part of the reason Iran has been able to preserve much of its arsenal is linked to the Pentagon’s decision to conduct strikes aimed at sealing entrances to the Iranian regime’s hardened underground missile facilities.
The decision was reportedly made in an effort to preserve U.S. stocks of bunker-buster munitions, while simultaneously denying Iran access to the facilities. However, since the ceasefire in early April, Iran has excavated many of the collapsed tunnel entrances, restoring access to the facilities.
During his testimony to a White House appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, said, “We have sufficient munitions for what we’re tasked to do right now.”
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