US intelligence: Iran restarts drone production and rebuilds military industrial base faster than expected

Iran’s drones may have survived not because US and Israeli strikes failed, but because Iran built a war machine designed from the start to keep fighting after the bombs fell. According to recently disclosed US intelligence assessments, Iran is rapidly rebuilding its military industrial base during an ongoing six-week ceasefire that began in early April, […] The post How Iran’s drone-making machine keeps flying under fire appeared first on Asia Times.

Fresh US intelligence suggests Iran has resumed military production, including drones, much sooner than anticipated, raising concerns about its rapid arsenal regeneration. Tehran's strategy of decentralized manufacturing and reliance on commercially available components allows for swift replenishment of weapons like Shahed drones and Fateh missiles, even after recent strikes.

Tehran [Iran]: Iran has begun some of its drone production as the wobbly ceasefire was declared in April, in a quicker pace than anticipated, as per US intelligence, CNN has learnt. The sources familiar with the development said that replacing missile sites, launchers and production capacity for key weapons systems destroyed during the current conflict indicates that Iran still remains a persistent threat to the region. The rebuilding of the military capacities also contradicts the claims by the US that Iran's capabilities have been 'decimated'. US intelligence estimates indicate Iran could fully reconstitute its drone attack capability in as soon as six months, a US official told CNN. "The Iranians have exceeded all timelines the IC had for reconstitution," the US official told CNN. Drone attacks by Iran are a headache for the regional countries because if US President Donald Trump starts bombing Iran, it may retaliate towards its neighbours. Iran's catalyst towards rebuilding has been the support it gets from Russia and China and also the fact that the US and Israel did not inflict as much damage as the two countries had hoped, one of the sources told CNN. For instance, China provides Iran with components during the conflict that can be used to build missiles, two sources familiar with US intelligence assessments told CNN, though that has likely been curtailed by the ongoing US blockade. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CBS last week that China is giving Iran "components of missile manufacturing" but declined to elaborate further. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun has rubbished the claims. He said that the allegation is "not based on facts". Meanwhile, Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told CNN in a statement that "America's military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President's choosing."

Sources told CNN that Iran is restoring lost military strength by repairing and replacing missile positions, launch equipment, and the production lines for essential weapons systems damaged in the conflict.

Iran has already restarted some of its drone production during the six-week ceasefire that began in early April, CNN reported on Thursday, citing two sources familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments. US intelligence indicates Iran’s military is rebuilding much faster than initially estimated, the report added, citing four sources. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. […]

Iran has already restarted some of its drone production during the six-week ceasefire that began in early April, one sign it is rapidly rebuilding certain military capabilities degraded by US-Israeli strikes, according to two sources familiar with US intelligence assessments. Four sources told CNN that US intelligence indicates Iran’s military is reconstituting much faster than … The post Iran rebuilding military industrial base faster than expected, already producing drones, according to US intel appeared first on Egypt Independent.