Iran's War of Attrition: The Tug of War in the Persian Gulf

Investing.com - Since Saturday, Iran has launched hundreds of low-cost Shahed-136 drones at U.S. bases and regional oil infrastructure, forcing the U.S. and its allies to use expensive interceptors. Military analysts describe this as a war of attrition.

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The drone attacks began after the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday. Iran has deployed large numbers of Shahed-136 drones, each costing about $20,000, across the Middle East. The U.S. and its partners are using Patriot interceptors, each costing around $4 million, to counter the drone threat.

Kelly Grieco from the Stimson Center said Iran’s strategy is to exhaust the interceptors and political will of the defense side before Iran runs out of drones. This strategy aims to deplete air defense systems rather than destroy each target immediately.

Reports indicate that, at the current rate of use, Qatar’s Patriot missile stockpile may only last a few days. Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the U.S. Fifth Fleet’s air defense systems are under attack from hundreds of Iranian munitions.

President Trump dismissed concerns about weapon shortages on Truth Social, claiming the U.S. has an almost unlimited supply of ammunition. Trump wrote that with these supplies, the U.S. can fight a very successful war forever. His statement contradicts military advisors’ reports, which warn that high-end interceptors are under severe pressure.

Analysts are worried that Iran is holding back its most deadly ballistic missiles, waiting for Western defenses to be exhausted before deploying them. As of Tuesday, the conflict has entered its fourth day, with no signs of when the drone offensive will end.

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