An IRGC commander says Iran’s missile production remains fully operational and domestically supplied, while U.S. analysts warn that depleted precision-munitions and air-defense inventories will require years to restore.

TEHRAN -- Iran's ballistic missile production supply chain remains fully intact and operational despite months of U.S.-Israeli bombardment, a senior IRGC commander said Saturday, declaring that Washington's own precision munitions stockpile has been so severely depleted by the war that it now faces a multi-year rebuilding effort.

"Our missile production is based entirely on domestic capabilities," said Brigadier General Ali Balali, an adviser to the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force.

"We rely on indigenous capabilities and a clear understanding of operational requirements to drive innovation. The country has reached a level of maturity in the field that no longer requires foreign assistance."

Balali said all facilities and components required for missile production are manufactured domestically and are exportable, adding that Iran has also drawn on its experience to advance in air defense, drone production, and the space sector.

He noted that the United States has copied Iran's Shahed-136 drone, demonstrating Washington's inability to develop a similar platform despite its extensive research centers.

"We can continue the fight for as long as necessary," he said. "The Americans are complaining about replenishing their interceptor missile stockpiles, but we are not in that situation."

His remarks came as Western analysts and U.S. media reports paint a starkly different picture of American munitions readiness. According to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) cited by CNN in April, the U.S. military expended at least 45 percent of its Precision Strike Missiles, at least half of its THAAD interceptors, and nearly 50 percent of its Patriot air defense interceptors over seven weeks of operations.

The U.S. has also used approximately 30 percent of its Tomahawk missile stockpile, more than 20 percent of its long-range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles, and about 20 percent of its SM-3 and SM-6 missiles.

By August, the depletion had deepened further. CNN reported that the U.S. had exhausted nearly 80 percent of its THAAD interceptors compared to pre-war levels, with Patriot interceptor inventories falling from approximately 2,330 before the war to between 759 and 827 by late July.

CSIS estimated that replenishing these systems will take three to five years even with increased production capacity.

"The high munitions expenditures have created a window of increased vulnerability in the western Pacific," said Mark Cancian, a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel and co-author of the CSIS report.

"It will take one to four years to replenish these inventories and several years after that to expand them to where they need to be."

Iranian officials have repeatedly emphasized the sustainability of Iran's defense production. Balali noted that Iran relies on its own capabilities and a clear understanding of operational requirements to drive innovation.

On Friday, IRGC second-in-command Major General Mostafa Izadi said Iran's armed forces have made major advances in various technological fields and have "surprises" in store for their enemies.

Western analysts have acknowledged Iran's strides in missile technology. Retired U.S. Navy officer Matt Bracken said Iran is producing hypersonic missiles "in mass quantities," something the U.S. has not yet achieved operationally.

He noted that while the U.S. remains stuck in a 20th-century warfare model, Iran has focused its investments on asymmetric capabilities — ballistic missiles, drones, and now hypersonic systems.

The contrasting assessments underscore the asymmetric nature of the war. Iran's production is decentralized, domestically sourced, and oriented toward sustained attrition.

Iranian officials have said the country's underground missile cities — at least 27 sites with hardened defenses, independent power, and ventilation systems — have preserved Iran's retaliatory capacity.

The U.S., by contrast, relies on high-cost, long-lead-time precision munitions. CSIS experts noted that despite contracts signed to boost missile production, delivery schedules remain low — approximately 15 Tomahawks and 20 Patriot interceptors per month.

Senator Mark Kelly acknowledged the disparity: "Iran does have the ability to produce large numbers of Shahed drones, ballistic missiles... So at some point... this becomes a math problem. Where are they going to come from?"