Western officials say Tehran has rebuilt its arsenal and can rapidly replenish supplies, while a separate report claims Washington urged Israel to strike Iran without US military support.

Iran has preserved its missile and drone production facilities and can replenish its weapons stockpiles, according to unnamed Western officials cited by Bloomberg on Saturday. One official also said Russia was supplying missiles to the Islamic Republic.

Iran has used recent months of relative calm to rebuild its damaged weapons industry and replenish its arsenal. The country remains “well-stocked” with ballistic missiles and anti-ship weapons and can “quickly add more,” the officials said.

They assessed that Tehran retains sufficient firepower to retaliate effectively if Washington resumes its strikes.

One official said Moscow was providing Iran with missiles. Russia’s Defense Ministry did not respond to Bloomberg’s request for comment.

The assessment contrasts with statements by US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. On September 30, Hegseth said American strikes had destroyed Iran’s “military industrial capacity” and “their entire defense base.”

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly “rejected that assessment,” Bloomberg reported.

“First, President Trump obliterated Iran’s nuclear facilities during Operation Midnight Hammer,” Bloomberg quoted Kelly as saying, referring to US strikes during the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June 2025.

“Then, Operation Epic Fury successfully destroyed the conventional shield that Iran sought to create over a nuclear program, including their ballistic missiles, production facilities, and navy,” Kelly said, referring to the US-Israeli war launched against Iran on February 28 this year.

Report: US Pressed Israel to Strike Iran Alone

The Hebrew-language daily Maariv reported Saturday that Washington had recently urged Israel to attack Iran without direct US military involvement.

The newspaper, which cited no sources, said Trump wanted Israel to lead the operation to avoid domestic political backlash from restarting the war shortly before the November 3 US midterm elections.

According to the report, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir opposed the proposal, warning that an Israeli strike could force the postponement of the country’s October 27 Knesset election. Washington has reportedly shelved the idea for now.

The report followed a Channel 12 broadcast Friday saying senior US military officers had told Zamir that the White House and Pentagon had ordered preparations for a major attack on Iran within three weeks, placing the potential operation shortly before the midterm elections.

Channel 12, citing a senior US official and another unnamed official, also reported that Zamir had warned his American counterparts that an attack could delay Israel’s election.

Israeli officials reportedly believe Iran would retaliate against a US strike with a massive missile barrage targeting Israel.