Iran gambles that its drones and missiles can outlast the US and Israel

Iran's drones and missiles are central to its effort to counter attacks by the US and Israel, and its most powerful forces are racing to preserve offensive weaponry after severe degradation by those states. Analysts say Tehran's recent missile employment has diverged from expectations, reflecting both constraint and adaptation.

Over a 10-day campaign Iran struck most neighboring states, but the destructive scale has been blunted by the advanced defenses of Israel, the US and regional Arab partners. Officials point to a more than 80% drop in missile attacks less than a week into the fighting, and the Israeli military has said about 75% of Iran's missile launchers have been destroyed.

Iranian state media, meanwhile, has claimed it fired 500 ballistic and cruise missiles and launched 2,000 drones as of March 5. Iran appears to rely heavily on short-range Fatah-110 missiles while using more advanced medium-range models sparingly.

Iran

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