Iran Denies Missile Shortage, Touts Precision Strikes Against Israeli Defenses
Iran denied Israeli claims of missile shortages, telling CNN it has shifted to precision strikes using advanced technology. An official said Iranian missiles have breached Israel’s top-tier defenses, warning Tel Aviv not to misread the reduced launch numbers.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iran has denied Israeli claims that it is facing missile shortages, asserting instead that it has shifted its strategy toward precision strikes using advanced technology. The statement was made by a senior Iranian official in an exclusive comment to CNN's Fred Pleitgen on Saturday.
According to CNN, the Iranian official rejected assertions made by Israel that Iran’s missile stockpile is dwindling, thus forcing Tehran to reduce the frequency of its missile launches in recent days. The official stated that Iran has not reduced its capabilities but rather altered its approach.
"Iran has changed its missile policy, replacing quantity with quality," the Iranian official told CNN. "Instead of firing large numbers of missiles, Iran is using more advanced precision missiles against sensitive military and security centers."
The official further claimed that Iran’s missiles have successfully penetrated Israel’s multilayered missile defense systems, which include American THAAD and Patriot systems, as well as Israel's Arrow 2, Arrow 3, David’s Sling, and the Iron Dome.
"It was observed that Iran launched a missile and the missile easily made its way through American THAAD, Patriot, Arrow 3, Arrow 2, David’s Sling and the family of Iron Dome systems, striking the predetermined target," the source said.
Warning Israel against underestimating Tehran’s new capabilities, the official added: "Israel should not be happy about the decrease in the number of missiles fired and better keep silent and merely become an observer in the face of the new balance of Iranian superior power."
Brigadier General Effie Defrin, spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), responded by stating that since the beginning of the war, Iran has launched more than 450 ballistic missiles and hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) targeting the capital Tel Aviv and several other locations in Israel.
According to Israel’s emergency response teams, the Iranian missile attacks have resulted in at least 25 deaths and nearly 800 injuries. Israeli officials claim that Iran is deliberately targeting residential areas and civilian populations.
The conflict began in the early hours of Friday, June 13, 2025, when Israel, using more than 200 fighter jets, bombed military sites and nuclear facilities in Tehran and several other locations across Iran. During those strikes, a number of top military officials and nuclear scientists were killed.
In response, Iran has been launching daily missile salvos targeting Tel Aviv and other provinces, prompting ongoing Israeli counterattacks.
The comments underscore a continuing war of narratives between Iran and Israel as the regional conflict intensifies, with each side leveraging strategic communications to shape perceptions about military readiness and deterrence capabilities. CNN was the first to report the remarks on June 21, 2025.
