US defenses overwhelmed by Iran’s drone and missile barrages: WSJ
Iran’s constant firing of drones and missiles has clearly challenged the United States’ ability to reach its military objectives in the country and its capability to defend allies and assets in West Asia, an analysis by the Wall Street Journal shows.
The analysis, published on Tuesday, said US military and diplomatic resources in West Asia are under mounting pressure as Iran conducts back-to-back waves of drone and missile assaults on the Israeli regime as well as on the assets of the United States in the region.
The analysis comes a day after officials at US Central Command confirmed that six service members lost their lives following a drone strike against a facility in Kuwait.
In a separate incident on the same day, three American F-15 fighters were downed over Kuwait.
Additional Iranian strikes have targeted American positions in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, while the US Embassy in Riyadh sustained damage from a drone attack early Tuesday.
The WSJ analysis said the incidents show that the difficulty for American forces lies in countering widespread Iranian attacks across a broad geographic area while simultaneously synchronizing air defense strategies with partner nations.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says its Aerospace Force has successfully targeted and neutralized a second US-operated Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in West Asia.
Beyond safeguarding the tens of thousands of American personnel stationed regionally, the US must also secure numerous embassies and governmental facilities, the analysis said.
It quoted Ravi Chaudhary, a former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force responsible for installations, as saying that Iran’s substantial arsenal of ballistic missiles, coupled with explosive-laden Shahed drones and electronic warfare capabilities, presents a serious danger to American bases.
Chaudhary said these installations are facing an unprecedented level of threat in this conflict, as Iran has clearly shown both the intention and means to target vital infrastructure and hinder America’s ability to project air power.Furthermore, Iranian actions have effectively halted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for global oil shipment, the analysis said.
The it said the scale of Iran’s weapons inventory, particularly its ability to manufacture vast numbers of low-cost drones, suggests a strategy to outlast US forces, which are confronting a depletion of interceptor missiles for systems like Patriot and THAAD.
