JERUSALEM — March 4, 2026 : The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has assessed that approximately 50% of Iran’s mobile ballistic missile launchers were destroyed or disabled during the initial phase of Operation Lion's Roar, a large-scale Israeli military campaign launched on February 28, 2026 against Iranian military infrastructure.
According to Israeli military officials, operational assessments conducted between March 1 and March 2 indicate that roughly 200 to 300 transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) vehicles were neutralized out of an estimated 400 to 600 mobile launch platforms that supported Iran’s ballistic missile forces prior to the operation. The campaign has been conducted in coordination with the United States, which is operating parallel strikes under Operation Epic Fury, led by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM).
Israeli officials say the targeting of mobile launchers represents a central objective of the campaign because these systems form the backbone of Iran’s missile strike capability. Unlike fixed launch sites, TEL platforms allow rapid relocation and launch operations, making them difficult to track and destroy.
Operational Overview
Operation Lion’s Roar began following a period of heightened tensions after the Twelve-Day War (2025 Middle East conflict), which took place in June 2025. Israeli planners concluded that Iran had shifted much of its strategic missile capability to mobile launch systems following earlier strikes on fixed infrastructure during that conflict.
During the first phase of the 2026 operation, the Israel Defense Forces conducted more than 150 combat sorties using F-35I Adir stealth fighters and F-15I Ra’am strike aircraft. These operations targeted mobile launch sites, storage depots, and command nodes across central and western Iran.
Israeli and U.S. intelligence sources state that targeting data was derived from satellite imagery, electronic intercepts, and real-time aerial surveillance conducted by IAI Heron TP unmanned aerial vehicles and RQ-4 Global Hawk reconnaissance drones operated by the United States.
Precision-guided weapons used in the strikes included Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits and SPICE precision-guided bomb systems produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
Strategic Impact on Missile Operations
Military analysts say the destruction of hundreds of launch platforms significantly limits Iran’s ability to conduct large-scale coordinated missile attacks.
Defense officials involved in the operation described two primary objectives behind the campaign:
Limiting Offensive Capabilities:
Destroying or disabling 200–300 TEL vehicles reduces Iran’s capacity to launch large simultaneous missile salvos from dispersed locations.
Preserving Defensive Interceptors:
Neutralizing launch systems before missiles are fired reduces pressure on missile defense networks and helps preserve interceptor inventories used by Israeli and allied air defense systems.
Operational tracking data from both Israel and the United Arab Emirates indicates that the frequency of Iranian ballistic missile launches declined significantly in the days following the initial strikes. According to U.S. and Israeli monitoring, Iranian launch rates dropped from approximately 350 missiles on the first day of the escalation to roughly 40 launches by the fifth day.
Iranian Mobile Ballistic Missile Arsenal
Prior to the operation, Western intelligence estimates suggested Iran possessed over 3,000 ballistic missiles supported by 400–600 mobile launch platforms operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force.
Key missile systems associated with these mobile launchers include:
Fateh-110 — A short-range ballistic missile with an estimated range of 300 kilometers, typically deployed on 6×6 wheeled TEL vehicles. Intelligence assessments estimated 150–200 launchers supporting this system.
Fateh-313 — An upgraded variant with a range of approximately 500 kilometers, also mounted on 6×6 wheeled launchers, with 100–150 TEL units estimated prior to the operation.
Zolfaghar — A medium-range missile capable of striking targets up to 700 kilometers, usually deployed on 8×8 wheeled transporter launchers, with 80–100 platforms believed operational.
Shahab-3 — An intermediate-range ballistic missile with a range of approximately 1,300 kilometers, deployed on MAZ-543-type 8×8 launch vehicles, supported by 50–80 launchers.
Sejjil — A solid-fuel medium-to-intermediate range ballistic missile with a range of roughly 2,000 kilometers, transported on 8×8 TEL systems, with an estimated 20–30 launch platforms.
These figures were compiled from open-source assessments by organizations including the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
Targeted Regions and Infrastructure
Strikes during Operation Lion’s Roar focused heavily on missile infrastructure in Semnan Province, Isfahan Province, and Kermanshah Province. These areas host several missile testing ranges, storage depots, and assembly facilities associated with Iran’s missile development programs.
Israeli officials report that the campaign also targeted underground storage complexes, logistical supply chains, and missile assembly facilities. Damage assessments indicate that numerous support vehicles, fuel depots, and mobile command posts were destroyed alongside the launcher vehicles.
Satellite imagery released by Maxar Technologies showed burn marks, impact craters, and destroyed launcher chassis at more than 120 separate locations, with some sites displaying secondary explosions believed to be ammunition detonations following the strikes.
Broader Campaign Metrics
Beyond the destruction of mobile launchers, the ongoing campaign has targeted a wide range of Iranian military infrastructure.
According to operational data released by the IDF and CENTCOM:
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The Israeli Air Force has struck over 600 Iranian military sites, employing roughly 2,500 munitions.
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U.S. forces operating under Operation Epic Fury have engaged nearly 2,000 targets within the first 100 hours of the campaign.
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Coalition strikes have destroyed more than 200 Iranian air defense systems, significantly weakening radar coverage and missile interception capabilities.
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Internal security headquarters, intelligence facilities, and multiple command centers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have been targeted.
Israeli officials say the degradation of Iran’s air defense network has enabled Israeli aircraft to operate with increased freedom over portions of Iranian airspace, including areas near Tehran.
Iranian Response and Damage Claims
Iranian state media acknowledged damage from Israeli strikes but reported significantly lower losses, stating that around 100 launchers had been affected. Iranian officials did not provide independent verification for these figures.
A statement issued in Tehran by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force said that missile production would continue through domestic facilities operated by the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, one of Iran’s primary missile manufacturing organizations.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry described the strikes as illegal military actions and filed a complaint with the United Nations.
Defense analysts from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) estimate that rebuilding Iran’s destroyed mobile launcher fleet could require six to twelve months, assuming production facilities remain operational and supply chains are not further disrupted.
Ongoing Monitoring and Future Operations
Before the escalation in late February 2026, intelligence estimates suggested Iran possessed approximately 2,500 operational ballistic missiles of various ranges. Israeli officials say aerial surveillance is continuing to identify the remaining 50% of mobile launchers, which are believed to be dispersed across hardened sites in eastern and central Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told lawmakers in the Knesset that the operation aims to reduce the threat posed by Iranian missile forces while maintaining Israel’s overall strategic posture.
Military planners in Israel and the United States say further strikes remain possible as intelligence assets continue tracking the movement of surviving launcher systems across Iranian territory.
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