Is Iran running out of military weapons?

Western intelligence claimed that Iran may be depleting its military arsenal faster than expected, as the conflict with U.S. and Israeli forces entered its eighth day.

The U.S. Central Command (Centcom) reported that ballistic missile launches by Iran have declined by 86% since the first day of the conflict.

America’s top commander, General Dan Caine, also reported that drone launches have fallen by 73% over the same period.

As reported by BBC, before the conflict, Iran had more than 2,000 short-range ballistic missiles along with tens of thousands of Shahed one-way attack drones.

While the exact figures have not been revealed yet, Western officials confirm a visible decline in launch intensity from hundreds on day one to dozens now.

However, experts state that it could be a tactical preservation of military weapons instead of actual depletion.

But Iran’s capability to sustain production faces hurdles. It is reported that the next phase of “Operation Epic Fury” aims at hunting down mobile launchers, weapons stockpiles, and manufacturing facilities.

The challenge is still an intimidating one. Iran is three times larger than France in terms of area, providing many places for an enemy to hide.

History has also provided examples, such as Israel's fight in Gaza, as well as the US bombing of Houthi rebels in Yemen for a year, which prove that air power is ineffective in completely destroying an enemy's arsenal.