Iran Protects Capacity to Build Missiles as Trump Pauses Strikes

(Bloomberg) -- Iran has managed to preserve its missile and drone factories despite months of US and Israeli bombing, officials familiar with the matter said, allowing it to replenish its arsenals while President Donald Trump holds off on strikes ahead of the midterm elections.

Tehran still has the capacity to manufacture weapons to rebuild its arsenal, according to the Western officials, who asked not to be identified discussing private assessments. One official said Iran remains well-stocked with ballistic missiles and some anti-ship weapons, and can quickly add more.

The Western official said Russia was providing missiles as well, echoing a separate assessment in June. Russia's Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment.

The assessment of Iran's capability runs counter to repeated claims from Trump and his team that eight months of airstrikes have decimated Iran's ability to threaten US bases in the region and American allies. Trump said earlier this year that Iran's military is "totally destroyed" and in a speech on Sept. 30 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US had destroyed Iran's "military industrial capacity" and "their entire defense base."

That ability raises the likelihood that Iran could reconstitute its missile forces if Trump makes good on a vow, delivered via social media on Thursday, not to attack Iran before November's midterm elections. In addition, Tehran has escalated attacks on shipping around the Strait of Hormuz, hitting at least 10 vessels in the last week, according to the UK Navy.

The White House and the Pentagon didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

Trump had earlier floated the possibility of ramping up military strikes after the elections, amid a flurry of attacks on shipping. The later time frame would allow him to avoid further fanning oil prices just before the ballot.

Assessments from Western officials signal the Islamic Republic still has enough firepower to retaliate if Washington resumes airstrikes. With its economy withering behind a US Navy blockade of its oil exports and the war stuck in limbo, Tehran may lean deeper into asymmetric warfare, seeking to inflict as much pain as possible on its much bigger opponent.