Iran is adapting its tactics to wear down U.S. air defenses, and exploit dwindling interceptor stocks, according to new reporting from The New York Times.
During five days of attacks on U.S. bases in Jordan last month, Iran combined drones with maneuvering ballistic missiles to overwhelm defensive systems. On July 17, one missile penetrated the defenses at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, killing 3 U.S. soldiers and wounding more than 100.
The scale of the expenditure is becoming increasingly important: the U.S. has fired more than 1,500 Patriot interceptors during the war and reportedly has fewer than 1,700 remaining, while producing only about 600 Patriots in all of 2025. On one day during the Jordan attacks, U.S. forces reportedly fired around 50 Patriots, at roughly $4 million each.
Iran has also demonstrated other adaptations, including using drones to provide targeting data that helped shoot down a U.S. F-15E in April and expanding attacks through partners such as the Houthis to force U.S. forces to defend against threats from multiple directions.
The Pentagon continues to publicly deny that the U.S. has a munitions shortage.
https://t.me/OSINT_defender
