Iran’s Asymmetric Warfare Strategy Reshapes Global Military Doctrine, Expert Claims
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Foreign Affairs magazine has published an analysis by Hurviter, a former Assistant Secretary of Defense for the United States, acknowledging that despite extensive strikes by the U.S. and the Zionist regime on thousands of targets in Iran, the country’s governing system has remained intact for over six months. Furthermore, Iran has demonstrated the capability to disrupt maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, leading to increased energy prices and bolstering its political influence.
The report highlights Iran’s resilience, attributing its strength to preparedness for prolonged conflict, robust governmental restructuring, secured commodity imports, and crucially, extensive reserves of low-cost drones and missiles. These assets have enabled Iran to inflict significant damage on U.S. bases and regional infrastructure, thereby escalating the cost of military aggression.
This new strategic equation has fundamentally altered long-held assumptions about military dominance, making offensive actions less costly than defensive ones. The report specifically points to Iran’s Shahed-136 drone, produced at an estimated cost of $35,000, as a counter to the U.S. Patriot missile, which costs approximately $4 million. The sustained defense against such inexpensive weaponry using costly systems presents a significant challenge for global militaries.
The author of the article issues a warning regarding the risks of over-reliance on artificial intelligence by the U.S. military, emphasizing that the primary issue for America lies in its ammunition reserves. The piece argues that technological superiority alone is insufficient if armies fail to adapt their structures. The U.S.’s significant dependence on expensive assets like Tomahawk missiles and F-35 fighter jets is contrasted with the need for rapid deployment of affordable, mass-produced weaponry to counter precision-guided threats.
Iran’s demonstrable success indicates that other nations are observing and learning from its military competition strategies. The subterranean missile networks and dispersed facilities make the complete destruction of Iran’s military capabilities a formidable task. In contrast, the U.S. has been compelled to expend a considerable quantity of its high-cost missiles. Nations worldwide are actively drawing lessons from Iran’s approach. North Korea is enhancing its affordable drone technology, while Poland is increasing its investment in drone production and air defense. European and Asian countries are also expanding their drone-based offensive capabilities.
A widening disparity between the costs of attack and defense is becoming evident. The U.S. reportedly expended substantial numbers of its Patriot and THAAD missiles during operations against Iran. This development implies that power dynamics are no longer solely dictated by national wealth, as numerous countries can produce vast quantities of low-cost, precision-guided weapons. The era of mass-produced, precision-guided weapons has commenced, necessitating a recalibration of U.S. military strategy based on this evolving paradigm.
