JAKARTA - Iran continues to launch missile and drone attacks on United States and Israeli targets amid the escalation of the war that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the conflict.

Quoted by CBC (04/3), speaking at the United Nations, Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon described Tehran’s response as an act of desperation. “This is a regime rampaging like a wild beast, dangerous to everyone around it,” he said. “This is not strategy, this is desperation.”

Conversely, some analysts believe that it is precisely this desperation that forms the basis of Iran’s strategy.

Tehran is thought to be attempting to drain US and Israeli defence systems with waves of low-cost kamikaze drones while creating political pressure through attacks on US military bases and diplomatic facilities in the region.

Robert Malley, former US special envoy to Iran under President Joe Biden, said Iran is deliberately targeting America’s weak points.

“This is one of the opportunities where they can demonstrate that they have retaliatory power,” he said.

Iran’s attacks have reportedly reached US installations in at least nine countries, from the Gulf region to the Mediterranean. Drones also struck US diplomatic missions in Riyadh, Dubai, and Kuwait City. Dozens of people, mostly locals, were reported injured and some killed.

Galip Dalay from Chatham House believes Iran’s main goal is to pressure US President Donald Trump to stop the war. “The only person who can stop or end this war is Trump, and I think he is the actor targeted by Iran through its attacks,” he said.

In the air, Iran relies on Shahed-series drones capable of flying up to 2,000 kilometres carrying explosives. The production cost of drones, ranging from US$20,000 to 50,000, is far cheaper than Patriot interceptor missiles, which cost around US$4 million each.

“This is the core of Iran’s strategy,” wrote Kelly Grieco from the Stimson Center. “For every US$1 Iran spends on drones, the UAE spends around US$20–28 to shoot down those drones.”

In addition to drones, Iran has the largest ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East with more than 20 types. Justin Crump, CEO of Sibylline, estimates Iran has around 2,000 long-range missiles and a similar number of short-range missiles. At current usage rates, initial stockpiles are estimated to last 10 to 12 days since the start of the war.

However, a network of underground facilities allows weapons to be replenished. Crump also noted signs of fragmentation within the Revolutionary Guard, with some units making independent decisions in launching attacks.

“This is one of the opportunities where they can demonstrate that they have retaliatory power,” said Malley. He estimates Iran will emerge from the war in a more fragmented and chaotic state but will remain as a regime. (DH/LM)