ISTANBUL

The number of Iranian missile launchers has remained largely unchanged after a week of intense airstrikes, underscoring the challenge of locating small, mobile targets without full control of the skies, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing Israeli and Western estimates.

Israeli Defense Forces officials said about two-thirds of Iran’s launchers had been destroyed, little changed from roughly 60% reported last week, according to media reports.

Two Western assessments also estimated about 60% had been neutralized, with one suggesting up to 80% of Iran’s overall offensive capabilities had been degraded.

Mobile launchers are central to Iran’s ability to fire its ballistic missile arsenal, but identifying them across the country’s vast territory remains difficult, especially as parts of Iranian airspace remain dangerous for US and Israeli aircraft, Bloomberg reported.

“It’s likely that the Iranians are adapting tactics,” Ankit Panda of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace told Bloomberg, suggesting Tehran may be slowing operations to preserve launchers while relying more on Shahed-136 drones.

Iran has launched more than 2,400 Shahed drones in the conflict, compared with at least 789 ballistic missiles and 39 cruise missiles, Bloomberg reported, citing compiled data.

US and Israeli strikes have targeted both missile stockpiles and launchers to limit Iran’s ability to deploy remaining weapons, with the United States Central Command noting that Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks have dropped by more than 80%, the report added.