How well armed is Iran, and can it replenish missiles?

Deutsche Welle · 🇩🇪 public Germany · Mar 25, 2026 · 1101 words · By Matt Pearson

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What to know about How well armed is Iran, and can it replenish missiles?

The article discusses the ongoing conflict between Iran and the US-Israeli alliance, focusing on Iran's missile capabilities and drone operations. It reports that Iran's missile stocks have been significantly reduced by recent attacks, though some capacity remains. The text cites expert opinions on the strategic implications of Iran's military posture and the potential for escalation. No specific propaganda techniques are detected in the analysis.

Propaganda risk 0%

Claims checked 20

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Deutsche Welle reports: How well armed is Iran, and can it replenish missiles?.

Why it matters

March 25, 2026As the US-Israel war with Iran nears its fourth week, Iranian missiles are still striking Israel and the Gulf states despite US and Israeli claims to have decimated missile stocks.

Common ground

A social media post from the White House on March 14 claimed that "Iran's ballistic missile capacity is functionally destroyed," yet Iran continues to demonstrate that it still has at least some missile capacity 10 days on, with a number of strikes on Tuesday.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What terms are actually in the Iran proposal, and which side would have to compromise first?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini, spokesperson for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, told the state-run IRNA news agency that the country is producing missiles 'even during war conditions, which is amazing, and there is no particular problem in stockpiling.'?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dw.com/en/how-well-armed-is-iran-and-can-it-replenish-missiles/a-765…

analyticsAnalysis

Propaganda Score

confidence: 90%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 20 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 10

help Insufficient Evidence 7

verified Verified By Reference 3

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Claim 1: “Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini, spokesperson for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, told the state-run IRNA news agency that the country is producing missiles 'even during war conditions, which is amazing, and there is no particular problem in stockpiling.'”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 2: “In the opening days of the war, Iran fired more than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones. Hit rate: below 5%. Defenses held. The barrage looked overwhelming. Most of it was stopped”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Evidence includes Wikipedia entries about Iran's missile program and Raad-500 missile, but none mention specific numbers of missiles/drones launched or hit rates during the war's opening days.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The ballistic missile program of Iran is the largest in the Middle East and plays a key role in Iran's military strategy. Its diverse short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles serve as a deterre…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_missile_program_of_I…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Raad-500 missile (Persian: موشک رعد ۵۰۰) is an Iranian SRBM/Tactical ballistic missile which is equipped with a progressive composite engine that is dubbed as "Zohair (Persian: زهیر)". Raad-500 means …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raad-500

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Claim 3: “The firing of many of those missiles in the last few weeks, and during the 2025 conflict with Israel, has reduced the stock, as have US-Israeli attacks on weapon-manufacturing sites.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 4: “There are at least five underground 'missile cities' in various Iranian provinces, including Kermanshah and Semnan, as well as near the Gulf region.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 5: “A social media post from the White House on March 14 claimed that 'Iran's ballistic missile capacity is functionally destroyed,' yet Iran continues to demonstrate that it still has at least some missile capacity 10 days on, with a number of strikes on Tuesday.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Evidence includes Wikipedia entries about March 14, UFC Freedom 250, and the White House's general description, but none mention the specific claim about the White House's March 14 statement or Iran's subsequent missile activity. No corroboration or contradiction found.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — March 14 is the 73rd day of the year (74th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 292 days remain until the end of the year.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_14

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — UFC Freedom 250 (also known as UFC White House) is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that is scheduled to take place on June 14, 2026, on the South La…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_Freedom_250

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House

schedule

Claim 6: “Estimates at the start of February put the number at around 80,000 Shahed drones, before adding that the accuracy of that figure is unclear and that it is difficult to ascertain how many have been used in the ongoing war.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 7: “The Israeli military reportedly estimated it at about 2,500 pre-war, while some independent experts put the number at as many as 6,000.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in web search, cross-references, or Wikipedia to confirm or refute the claim about pre-2025 missile stockpile estimates.

help

Claim 8: “Ballistic missiles can be a delivery mechanism for nuclear weapons, though Tehran denies any intention to build nuclear bombs.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in web search, cross-references, or Wikipedia to confirm or refute the claim about ballistic missiles as nuclear delivery vehicles.

schedule

Claim 9: “Estimated capacity is around 10,000 Shahed drones per month in peace conditions, said Powell, who stressed that the impacts of the war on this number are currently not known.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 10: “Drones are hugely significant to Iran's military strength. The relative cost of drones compared to other air assets allows Tehran to project military power and wider political influence across the region at a much-reduced cost.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 11: “Launch rates fell 90%+ over the following two weeks. Something counterintuitive happened: the hit rate started climbing. Iran was firing less, but hitting more often.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it verified by reference based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On June 22, 2025, the United States Air Force and Navy attacked three nuclear facilities in Iran as part of the Twelve-Day War, under the code name Operation Midnight Hammer. The Fordow Uranium Enrich…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_United_States_strikes_on_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, also known as the Iranian Armed Forces, include the regular armed forces (Artesh), the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah) and the Police Command (Fara…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Republic_of_Iran_Armed…

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Claim 12: “The question really is whether Iran can build them quickly enough to replace those lost through being fired or enemy destruction.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 13: “These included ballistics such as: Sejjil, Ghadr and Khorramshahr with 2,000-kilometer (1,242 miles) ranges, Emad (1,700 km), Shahab-3, (1,300 km) and Hoveyzeh 1,350 km.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in web search, cross-references, or Wikipedia to confirm or refute the claim about specific missile models and their ranges.

help

Claim 14: “Before the war, Iran had the largest and most diverse arsenal in the Middle East, according to the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in web search, cross-references, or Wikipedia to confirm or refute the claim about the US ODNI's assessment of Iran's missile arsenal.

schedule

Claim 15: “Iran appears to be capable of rebuilding. The Islamic Republic has established structures for rearmament, with 2021-25 data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute showing Iran is only responsible for 0.05% of global arms imports.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 16: “The US is spending approximately $1 billion (€0.86 billion) per day on the war in Iran and Powell said it's worth noting that the 'cost of the weapons systems required to destroy the drones is significantly larger than that of the drone itself.'”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 17: “The attacks on Iranian military launch sites and stockpiles have had a reduced impact due to what she describes as an 'operational pivot' from Iran.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in web search, cross-references, or Wikipedia to confirm or refute the claim about Iran's 'operational pivot' reducing attack impacts.

help

Claim 18: “The missile launching capability has been degraded, but not exhausted. And that is significant”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in web search, cross-references, or Wikipedia to confirm or refute the claim about Iran's degraded missile capability.

help

Claim 19: “Recent attempted strikes on the UK/US military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, nearly 4,000 km away from Iran, suggest Iran has missiles with a longer range than previously believed.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in web search, cross-references, or Wikipedia to confirm or refute the claim about the 2025 attempted strike on Diego Garcia.

schedule

Claim 20: “That is why and how we're seeing the IRGC continuing to launch attacks and to de facto have closed the Strait of Hormuz, the key point of leverage for the Iranian regime.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.