U.S. President Donald Trump has said Iran still possesses roughly 21 to 22 per cent of its missile arsenal, despite recent military confrontations and ongoing tensions in the region.
Speaking in an interview with NBC News on Friday, Trump said Iran continues to maintain some offensive capabilities, including missiles and drones.
“They still have capacity. They have some missiles, they have some drones. I would say, percentage-wise, maybe 21, 22 per cent of their missiles,” Trump said.
The estimate marks an increase from the 18 per cent figure Trump cited in May. The U.S. president has previously asserted that Iran’s military capabilities had been largely destroyed.
The remarks come amid renewed tensions despite a fragile ceasefire between Iran and its adversaries.
Earlier on Friday, Iran’s military claimed it had fired “warning missiles” at two U.S. destroyers operating in the Gulf of Oman. The claim was swiftly rejected by the U.S. military, which denied that any such incident occurred.
The latest exchange follows reports from Kuwait earlier this week that its air defence systems intercepted 30 ballistic missiles allegedly launched by Iran. Kuwaiti authorities described the attack as an act of “heinous Iranian aggression.”
The developments have raised concerns about the stability of the ceasefire and the potential for further escalation in the region.
