CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently cautioned American lawmakers that without the current, systematic dismantling of Iran’s missile‑development infrastructure, Tehran would have been on track to acquire the capability to strike the continental United States.
By Hezy Laing
Israel has significantly degraded Iran’s long ballistic missile program sometimes referred to as ICBM-related or intercontinental-capable development.
The effort focuses on launch infrastructure, production facilities, storage sites, and supporting industrial complexes.
These long range missiles were not threatening Israel but rather the USA and Europe.
In a stark briefing given recently to Congress, CIA Director John Ratcliffe offered one of the clearest and most urgent explanations to date for the necessity of the ongoing “Epic Fury” campaign against Iran.
Ratcliffe cautioned lawmakers that without the current, systematic dismantling of Iran’s missile‑development infrastructure, Tehran would have been on track to acquire the capability to strike the continental United States.
He stressed that the air operations underway are not merely tactical choices but a “vital” element of America’s national‑security posture, designed to stop a hostile government from gaining the reach to endanger U.S. population centers from across the globe.
U.S. intelligence agencies have been increasingly alarmed by Iran’s fast‑moving advances in its space‑launch and satellite programs—projects that often serve as a façade for work on Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) technology.
During his testimony, Ratcliffe made the stakes unmistakably clear: “Had these sites not been targeted, yes, they would have been capable of hitting the mainland United States with missiles.”
He explained that coalition airstrikes have been deliberately aimed at the core of Iran’s long‑range weapons enterprise, including specialized production facilities, research centers, and the fuel‑generation infrastructure required for multi‑stage missile systems.
According to Ratcliffe, the destruction of these assets is intended to push back Iran’s progress significantly, erasing years of technological gains and delaying any future long‑range missile capability by a substantial margin.
The intelligence community believes that without this intervention, Iran’s program would have crossed a critical threshold, giving it the ability to threaten the U.S. homeland directly.
The Director’s testimony underscored that the current campaign is not only about neutralizing immediate threats but also about preventing Iran from reaching a point where it could credibly project strategic power far beyond the Middle East.
Key Methods, Targets and Impact
Destruction of production infrastructure: Israeli and U.S. strikes hit at least four major ballistic missile manufacturing sites, including the Khojir, Shahroud, Parchin, and Hakimiyeh complexes. These facilities handle solid- and liquid-fuel mixing, casting, warhead production, and critical components for missile assembly. Satellite imagery shows dozens of structures destroyed or severely damaged (e.g., at least 88 at Khojir and 28 at Shahroud). Experts assess this has most likely halted Iran’s ability to produce short- and medium-range ballistic missiles until the sites can be rebuilt.
Targeting launchers and underground bases: The IDF has destroyed or rendered inoperable around 330 out of an estimated 470 missile launchers. Strikes have collapsed or blocked tunnel entrances to hardened underground “missile cities,” with reports indicating up to 77% of known entrances hit. U.S. forces have also targeted equipment (such as bulldozers) used by Iran to clear debris and reopen access. This has forced Iran into smaller, less effective salvos rather than large overwhelming barrages.
Repeated and intelligence-driven strikes: Operations include “launcher hunts” and rapid follow-up attacks. For example, the Yazd Missile Base has been struck multiple times (at least five to six reported), often shortly after Iranian launches. Over 600 strikes on ballistic missile sites have been conducted, alongside broader targeting of air defenses to enable sustained Israeli Air Force operations deep into Iran.
Broader industrial degradation: Strikes have hit facilities producing missile engines, UAV components, munitions, and related defense industries. This includes sites tied to the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) and the Defense Industries Organization. One unique facility producing critical assembly components (one of only two in Iran) was specifically targeted.
Production halt: U.S. and Israeli officials have described Iran’s ballistic missile production capacity as “functionally defeated” or severely damaged during the conflict, limiting regeneration of the arsenal. This builds on prior Israeli operations (e.g., 2024 and 2025 strikes that damaged planetary mixers essential for solid-fuel production).
