Report: Iran rebuilds missile and drone factories, replenishes arsenal despite US-Israeli strikes

Iran has managed to preserve its missile and drone production facilities despite months of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, allowing it to replenish its weapons stockpiles, Bloomberg reported Saturday, citing officials familiar with Western intelligence assessments. Western officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said Tehran retains the ability to manufacture weapons and rebuild its arsenal. One official said Iran remains "well-stocked" with ballistic missiles and certain anti-ship weapons and can rapidly produce additional missiles. The official also said Russia has been supplying missiles to Iran, consistent with intelligence assessments reported in June. Russia's Defense Ministry did not respond to Bloomberg's request for comment. The findings suggest that Iran has retained significant weapons production capabilities even as U.S. President Donald Trump refrains from launching further strikes ahead of November's midterm elections. The assessment contradicts repeated claims by Trump and senior administration officials that eight months of airstrikes have destroyed Iran's ability to threaten American military bases in the region and U.S. allies. Earlier this year, Trump declared that Iran's military had been "totally destroyed." In a September 30 speech, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States had destroyed Iran's "military industrial capacity" and "their entire defense base." The latest findings raise the prospect that Tehran could further rebuild its missile forces if Trump follows through on his pledge, announced on social media Thursday, not to attack Iran before the November elections. Meanwhile, Iran has intensified attacks on commercial shipping around the Strait of Hormuz. According to the British Navy, at least 10 vessels have been struck over the past week. Responding to Bloomberg's report, a White House spokeswoman rejected its findings. "President Trump completely obliterated Iran's nuclear facilities during Operation Midnight Hammer," she said. "Then, during Operation Epic Fury, he successfully destroyed the conventional shield Iran sought to build around its nuclear program, including its ballistic missiles, production facilities and navy." The report comes as Washington continues to weigh renewed military action against Iran despite Trump's public commitment to avoid further strikes before the elections. The New York Times reported Thursday that the U.S. military was preparing for the possibility of another large-scale offensive against Iran, with Pentagon planners developing options for an intensive military operation lasting approximately three days. Despite extensive preparations and escalating Iranian attacks on oil tankers, Trump has remained reluctant to resume large-scale hostilities. In recent months, he has rejected five separate proposals for major military operations against Iran or the Houthis in Yemen, according to the report. Trump has nevertheless once again instructed military officials to prepare strike options. Last Friday, senior administration officials discussed the plans during a meeting at Camp David led by Vice President JD Vance. The discussions centered on a short but powerful operation lasting approximately three days, targeting Iran's missile and drone capabilities, significant portions of which have been restored by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps since the opening stages of the war. Other potential targets under consideration include energy facilities, Revolutionary Guard headquarters and command centers. 'We are prepared for negotiations and do not fear them' The future of the confrontation with Iran remains deeply uncertain. Negotiations between Tehran and Washington have produced no breakthrough, clashes over the Strait of Hormuz continue, and an agreement over Iran's nuclear program appears increasingly distant. Iranian forces continue to issue threats and assert their military capabilities, while U.S. officials maintain that their operations have achieved major results. The approaching elections in both Israel and the United States have also raised questions in Tehran about how domestic political considerations could influence future military decisions. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that indirect negotiations with Washington were continuing and that Tehran was considering the American response to its proposed diplomatic framework. "The negotiation process is continuing, and messages are being exchanged through mediators," Araghchi said. "We presented our proposal for a seven-day plan and heard the American position regarding it. We are now reviewing that position, and I believe we will provide our response in the coming days." Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei also said in recent days that Tehran had clarified its conditions for ending the war on all fronts and restoring security in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. He confirmed that messages were being exchanged between Iran and the United States through intermediaries. Despite those statements, Trump has already rejected the seven-day proposal Iran presented in September. According to reports, the plan called for a weeklong suspension of hostile activities throughout the region, including Lebanon, the release of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil exports and an end to the American blockade of Iranian ports. It also included guarantees concerning respect for Iranian sovereignty, commitments related to a memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington, and an end to threats against Iran. Under the proposal, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the seventh day if its conditions were met. Tehran has continued to insist on those demands despite Washington's rejection. Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani reiterated the country's position last week. "We are prepared for negotiations and do not fear them," she said. "We will defend our country, whether through war or through negotiations." Iran also appears to be developing longer-term plans for the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf to international shipping routes. Tehran has been holding discussions with Oman, which lies on the opposite side of the strait, concerning its future management. Last week, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said the two countries had agreed on the locations of safe shipping passages and reached an understanding on how to present the arrangements to the relevant international organization. That process, he said, would move forward soon. Iranian state-aligned media have continued reporting incidents involving vessels accused of violating Tehran's maritime regulations in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials insist that the waterway remains under the complete control of their forces and that the current restrictions will continue until Tehran's demands are met. Washington disputes those claims. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that Iran had "completely lost" control of the strait. Alongside the dispute over Hormuz, Iran's nuclear program has returned to the center of diplomatic discussions. On Wednesday, a senior source told the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television network that control of the waterway was no longer Washington's main priority. "Hormuz is no longer a priority for Washington after Iran lost control of it," the source said. "Progress in negotiations depends on Iran's response to Trump's demands regarding its nuclear capabilities. Washington is demanding that Iran acknowledge that it will not continue developing those capabilities." On September 28, a senior U.S. official told Al Jazeera that there would be no agreement without addressing Iran's nuclear program. The official said Trump was prepared to ease sanctions on Iran and release frozen Iranian assets in exchange for progress on the nuclear issue. Tehran, however, has shown little willingness to compromise on what it describes as its right to enrich uranium. Last week, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran would never surrender that right and that Washington's position on the nuclear program directly contradicted Tehran's demands. Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, reiterated that position Thursday. "We will not give up our right to enrichment, nor will we hand over our uranium," he said. "Nuclear negotiations were not on the agenda, and the American statements stem from desperation." Iran threatens to expand attacks beyond Hormuz As diplomatic contacts continue, Iranian military officials have maintained an increasingly confrontational tone, warning that further American attacks could trigger a broader escalation. Over the weekend, the Revolutionary Guards warned that their operations against vessels accused of violating Iranian regulations would no longer be confined to the Strait of Hormuz. "From now on, action against violating vessels will not be limited to the Strait of Hormuz," the Revolutionary Guards said. "Any vessel traveling along an unauthorized route, anywhere in the region, will be punished." Revolutionary Guards commander Ahmad Vahidi issued a similar warning last week, saying Iranian naval forces were prepared to respond decisively to what Tehran considers hostile actions or unauthorized maritime movements. "The naval forces are prepared to respond decisively to any miscalculation by the enemy and to the passage of vessels without authorization," he said. Revolutionary Guards spokesman Hossein Mohabbi has also warned in recent weeks that another attack on Iran would prompt a fundamental change in Tehran's military strategy. "If another attack takes place, our defensive strategy will change, including expanding the geographical scope of the confrontation, using new equipment and weapons, and selecting different targets," he said. "Iran possesses strategic capabilities and targets that have not yet been used, but they will be activated if necessary." Although such warnings form part of Iran's continuing propaganda campaign, several Western reports published in recent days suggest Tehran retains substantial military capabilities despite the sustained bombing campaign. Last week, satellite imagery reportedly revealed significant renewed activity at Min-Zadai, a nuclear weapons development complex northeast of Tehran that Israel previously exposed and attacked during Operation Roaring Lion. The reported activity has added to concerns over how much of Iran's military and strategic infrastructure has survived the war and how quickly damaged facilities can be restored. At the same time, Iran's political leadership has been urging national unity and domestic stability while acknowledging the mounting challenges facing the country. Years of sanctions, the economic consequences of the war and persistent social pressures have left Iran confronting serious internal difficulties. Differences also remain within the Iranian leadership and political establishment over the possibility of reaching an agreement with the United States. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged those challenges last week, calling for practical solutions and closer cooperation across government institutions and society. "In light of the challenges posed by the war and sanctions, solving the country's problems requires practical plans, cooperation and coordination among all government bodies and sectors of society," he said. "We must work to address economic and social problems while preserving national unity and avoiding confrontation."