Inside Iran’s military: missiles, militias and a force built for survival

Iran’s military is not designed to win a conventional war against the United States or Israel. It is designed to survive one, absorb damage and continue fighting over time, experts say.

That strategy is reflected both in how the force is built and how it is performing now, after weeks of sustained U.S. and Israeli strikes.

The scale of the campaign has been significant. More than 9,000 targets have been struck since the launch of Operation Epic Fury, according to a March 23, 2026, fact sheet from U.S. Central Command...