Mike Baker

Now, that won't happen overnight.

It will take time to dig out and retrieve the available launch systems, but it could happen.

And that's what's driving concern inside U.S.

intelligence circles right now.

To understand why this concern is significant, you have to look at how Iran built its systems in the first place.

The regime has long relied on its missile arsenal to project power across the Gulf, in part because its air force is relatively weak.

So instead of putting everything above ground where it can be easily targeted, Tehran invested heavily in hardened underground infrastructure designed to survive exactly this kind of sustained air campaign.

Now, of course, there are limits.

US and Israeli officials say Iran currently doesn't have the ability to manufacture new missiles at scale, and American military analysts don't expect Tehran to return to its pre-war strength anytime soon.

But it does mean that the threat from the Iranian missile program remains, particularly if they receive support from China and or Russia.

U.S.

intelligence is closely watching for that potential support from Russia or China, whether that's components or technology or even complete systems that could accelerate Iran's recovery timeline.

Okay, shifting gears.

For the first time in decades, Israel and Lebanon completed a round of direct talks brokered by Washington.

But even as that diplomacy push produces cautious optimism, the war with Hezbollah hasn't slowed down at all.

Now, here's what actually came out of those talks.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as President Trump's national security adviser, is calling these discussions, quote, historic and says the goal here is to build toward a framework for peace.

And to be clear, just getting Israeli and Lebanese officials into the same room after decades of hostility and a technical state of war going back to 1948,

Well, there's no small feat.

That tells you Washington is making a serious push to open a diplomatic track here.