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The US has only destroyed about a third of Iran’s missile and drone arsenal after a month of its war against Iran which aimed to degrade the country’s ballistic missile capabilities, according to a report by Reuters.

While about a third are destroyed, another third was likely damaged or buried under underground tunnels and bunkers. A similar assessment was made concerning Iran’s drone arsenal.

The report, based on five people familiar with US intelligence, suggests that while most of Iran’s missiles are immediately inaccessible, the country still has a sizeable missile stockpile left.

The reporting contradicted US president Donald Trump’s statement on Thursday that Iran had “very few rockets left” and statements from other US officials that the war has eliminated Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities.

Iranian officials see its ballistic missile programme as a key deterrent, particularly given the vast militarily superiority of the US and Israel, which is within reach of its arsenal and views it as a direct threat.

Iran has used ballistic missiles and drones to devastating effect over the last month, continuing to pound Israel with missile barrages, as well as targeting key energy and public infrastructure in the Gulf, inflicting huge damage on the global economy.

The US and Israel have said degrading Iran’s ballistic missile capacity is one of the chief aims of the war. In recent days, the US has deployed thousands of more troops to the Middle East as the administration reportedly mulls a ground operation in Kharg island with the aim of re-opening the paralysed strait of Hormuz.

Trump said on Thursday: “The problem with the strait is this: Let’s say we do a great job. We say we got 99% [of their missiles]. 1% is unacceptable, because 1% is a missile going into the hull of a ship that cost a billion dollars.”

Israel has made ballistic missile caches and launchers one of the primary targets of its aerial campaign in Iran. It says it has “neutralised” 335 missile launchers, comprising 70% of Iran’s launchers. Iran has distributed its launchers across the country in an effort to evade Israeli detection and airstrikes.

The number of Iranian missiles launched has declined as Israel and the US continue to find and destroy launchers, but missiles have still managed to impact in Israel and the Gulf as interceptors run out. Israel, the US and Gulf states have spent billions and expended critical interceptor stocks to block Iranian missile barrages.

A US official, speaking anonymously, suggested that it would be impossible to assess Iran’s missile stockpile as much of it was stored underground. “I don’t know if we’ll ever have an accurate number,” they said.

Iran has continued to fire ballistic missiles, firing 15 missiles and 11 drones at the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, according to the UAE defence ministry.

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said that the vast tunnel network created an extra challenge in destroying Iran’s missile stockpile, but said the US military would continue regardless.

“But we are hunting them down methodically, ruthlessly and overwhelmingly, like no other military in the world can do, and the results speak for themselves,” Hegseth said earlier this month.