US intel chief warns Iran retains thousands of missiles and drones

The director of the Defence Intelligence Agency, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James H. Adams, told Congress that Iran still retains large stockpiles of missiles and attack drones capable of threatening U.S. and allied forces in the region, despite extensive coalition strikes.

“Despite significant degradation of Iranian military capabilities through coalition strikes during Operation Epic Fury, Tehran retains thousands of missiles and one-way attack [unmanned aerial vehicles] capable of threatening U.S. and partner forces throughout the region,” Gen. Adams said during testimony before a House Armed Services subcommittee on intelligence and special operations.

He said Iran and its regional partners continue to wage a multi-front conflict and are increasingly relying on asymmetric warfare. He also assessed that Iran has expanded its wartime goals beyond survival, including deterring further strikes and leveraging control of the Strait of Hormuz for concessions.

Adams said Iran has sought external support from Russia and China to replenish weapons systems and has reorganised its command structure into a decentralised model following leadership losses. He added that Iranian forces remain weakened by strikes and are unable to match technologically superior adversaries.

The general warned that Iran is expected to continue developing asymmetric capabilities, including cyber operations, after observing its first destructive cyberattack against a U.S. company since 2014 on March 11.

“Iran almost certainly will continue using cyberattacks to impose costs on the United States throughout the remainder of the conflict.”

Adams also said Iran maintains coordination with proxies, including Iraqi militias, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, to extend pressure regionally, even as their capabilities vary.

He noted Iran’s defence spending has increased significantly, reaching about $16.8 billion, with nearly $8 billion allocated to modernisation in 2025.

The two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, which began on April 8, 2026, expires on April 21. Three days later, the parties failed to reach an agreement following hours of negotiations in Islamabad.

By Tamilla Hasanova