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Iran's Ballistic Missiles Remain Potent Threat
(Times of Israel) Stav Levaton - While the rate of Iranian missile launches dropped sharply as the war progressed - from 80 on the first day to 10-20 per day over the following weeks - the sustained attacks have raised questions about the extent of the damage inflicted in the most recent war. The IDF says over the six weeks of fighting, it managed to set back Iran's missile project only partially, owing in part to its difficult-to-reach underground facilities. Israel is concerned that the U.S. may come to an agreement that allows Iran to continue building up its missile program, Army Radio reported Monday, citing a senior Israeli source. Recent estimates by IDF intelligence officers indicated that Iran still possesses 1,000 ballistic missiles, down from 2,500 at the outset of the war, and will soon recover the ability to start building up its stockpile again. Of Iran's 470 ballistic missile launchers, 200 were destroyed in airstrikes, while another 80 were non-operational after the Israel Air Force struck tunnel entrances to subterranean facilities where they are stored. The IDF said that during the war it struck all of the key sites used to develop weapons that threaten Israel. But some facilities are believed to be buried as much as 500 meters beneath solid granite, well beyond the reach of bunker busters, which can penetrate 60 meters.