Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, criticized Iran’s responses to recent U.S. and Israeli strikes during a media briefing. “It is a regime lashing out like a rabid animal, dangerous to everyone around it,” Danon stated. “This is not strategy, it is desperation.”
Experts indicate that Iran aims to cause collateral damage in neighboring countries and deplete U.S. and Israeli defenses using inexpensive kamikaze drones to preserve its regime. Following a joint U.S.-Israeli operation that eliminated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top officials at the war’s outset, Iran targeted U.S. military bases and diplomatic missions within striking distance, described by Robert Malley, former special envoy for Iran, as America’s “soft underbelly.” Malley noted this approach demonstrates Iran’s retaliatory capabilities.
Iranian armaments have struck U.S. facilities in at least nine countries, spanning the Persian Gulf to Cyprus. These attacks injured dozens and killed some, primarily local residents. Drones also impacted American embassies and consulates in Riyadh, Dubai, and Kuwait City, igniting fires.
Neighboring Concerns and Strategic Goals
Many of Iran’s neighbors urged the U.S. to avoid conflict to prevent becoming unintended targets. Galip Dalay, a Middle East expert at the London-based Chatham House think tank, explains that Iran seeks to inflict sufficient damage to compel these nations to pressure U.S. President Donald Trump to halt the war. “The only person that can call off this war or end the war is Trump, and I think that is the actor that Iran is aiming at through its attacks,” Dalay said.
Drone Warfare Tactics
Iran employs its innovative Shahed series of kamikaze drones, capable of delivering powerful explosives up to 2,000 kilometers while programmed for precise targeting. These drones recently damaged three U.S. diplomatic missions. Iran pioneered this technology, now utilized by Russia in Ukraine.
The drones’ affordability—ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 each—poses a significant challenge, as interceptors like the Patriot missile cost around $4 million apiece and require longer replenishment times. Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, highlights this asymmetry: “For every $1 Iran spent on drones, the U.A.E. spent roughly $20–28 shooting them down.”
The U.S. has adapted similar Iranian-designed drones, dubbing them LUCAS, and accelerated development of cost-effective interceptors. Justin Crump, CEO of the British risk consultancy Sibylline, notes the drones’ portability: they launch from ordinary trucks. “You pull back the cover and they fire out. That is obviously much easier, much less detectable than a ballistic missile launcher,” Crump explained.
Missile Capabilities
Iran maintains the Middle East’s largest ballistic missile arsenal, featuring over 20 variants mostly assembled domestically with imported components. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded their dismantlement in pre-war negotiations due to the threat they pose to Israel. Iran launched many at Israel in June, though Israeli strikes destroyed others preemptively.
An extensive network of underground depots supports production, storage, and launch systems, enabling replenishment. Crump estimates Iran possesses around 2,000 long-range missiles and an equal number of short-range ones, providing roughly 10 to 12 days of supply at current usage rates when the conflict began.
The combination of missiles and drones could prolong the air campaign for weeks, despite ongoing U.S. and Israeli airstrikes. Signs emerge of disarray within Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, with individual units acting independently on launch decisions, diverging from central command. Crump warns this increases risks of accidents and miscalculations.
Malley assesses Iran’s postwar state: “Its goal at this point is to show at the end of this war that it is still standing.” The regime may emerge more fragmented and chaotic but intact.
