Iran has ‘thousands of missiles left’ – Israel doesn't need US assistance to reach war goals, says National Security Council head Hanegbi

Israeli National Security Council Director Tzachi Hanegbi cautioned on Monday that, despite the ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Iran, the regime still possesses “thousands” of missiles.

Speaking with Army Radio on Monday morning, Hanegbi said, “They had thousands and they have thousands left – this is not a campaign that can end the threat, of course not within days.”

However, Army Radio’s military correspondent Doron Kadosh somewhat downplayed Hanegbi’s comments, citing IDF Intelligence Directorate estimates that Iran has around 1,500 missiles remaining.

“The campaign began with Iran having about 2,000 ballistic missiles. Since then, Iran has already launched more than 200 missiles – and the IDF has destroyed a few hundred more ballistic missiles, according to estimates,” Kadosh wrote on Telegram.

“In other words, according to these approximate calculations – Iran has a number close to 1,500 ballistic missiles left, not ‘thousands’,” he concluded.

⭕️Iranian Regime weapon production sites haven been been struck and degraded.

Earlier today, the IDF completed a wide-scale wave of strikes on numerous weapon production sites belonging to the Quds Force, the IRGC and the Iranian military, in Tehran. pic.twitter.com/ioPBZAUVQ9

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 15, 2025

Nevertheless, Hanegbi stressed that the war is advancing according to Israel’s plans. While he declined to answer whether Israel had enough interceptors for a week-long campaign, he noted that “best defense is offense,” pointing to the performance of the Israeli Air Force which continues to hunt and destroy missile launchers and stores.

The goals of the opening wave of airstrikes has already been reached, Hanegbi said, adding that some goals were even attained ahead of schedule.

“The decapitation of the leading ranks in the army, all the senior commanders who were targeted and all the scientists who dedicated their lives to destroying the people of Israel, all except one were hit in their beds and were struck from the list.

The national security council head added that there was a “very effective” strike on the nuclear site in Natanz, where the parts above and below the ground were “destroyed,” contradicting earlier statements by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Israel’s goal, Hanegbi reiterated, is to remove the existential threat of the nuclear program and the ballistic missile array.

Surface-to-air missile launcher in Tehran struck: pic.twitter.com/vTFoO9n2Ak

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 15, 2025

He stressed that Israel’s intelligence officials had anticipated Iran’s response, predicting it would involve indiscriminate missile fire targeting civilian areas.

“In relative terms, Iran is very limited in its military capabilities. It doesn’t have quality intelligence like Israel and it can’t attack using its Air Force,” Hanegbi said.

“What it does have is ballistic missiles in bunches, in the thousands, and most importantly, it doesn’t have qualms to use this capability to bring about senseless destruction and killing without any strategic use.”

This is what spurred the leadership to launch the strike against Iran at this particular time, he explained.

“Imagine that what we saw in Bnei Brak and Petah Tikvah… but what would happen if these missiles were equipped with nuclear weapons or if they would have been able to accumulate quantities of powerful missiles without being disturbed – then we would have stood against a threat which I’m not sure we could have survived.”

He added that Israel currently has no interest in potential Iranian attempts to initiate dialogue or bring the war to an end.

In another interview with Kan Reshet Bet Radio, Hanegbi reiterated that Israel is not planning to assassinate Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly vetoed such a plan.

“Currently, there is no intention to harm the political leadership. But the term ‘right now’ is valid for about 60 seconds. There was no intention to harm Khamenei. The main activity is aimed at achieving two main goals – [neutralizing the] ballistic and nuclear threat,” he said.

He also emphasized that the war plan was designed to proceed without requiring any involvement from the United States.

“This war was planned as a ‘blue and white’ [campaign] and is not based on American offensive capabilities. For the goals that we have defined for ourselves, we do not need the United States. Not even in Fordow,” Hanegbi said.