Key Points
Both Iran and Hezbollah are leveraging this overwhelming tactic to breach Israeli air defences..
Iran is clearly aware of its strengths and its adversaries' vulnerabilities, particularly in the realm of unmanned aerial systems drones that it seeks to deploy to gain the upper hand in the West Asian war theatre...
In recent developments, Iranian-backed militias have increasingly employed drones against US military and diplomatic sites in Iraq and Syria since 2021, with Iranian-designed drones accounting for at least 20 per cent of these attacks..
Iranian precision-guided missiles are as accurate as any, but their drone technology introduces the concept of 'cheap warfare,' with drones designed to strike targets without the frills of sophistication, notes strategy and foreign policy expert Qamar Agha..
For more nimble operations, Iran employs smaller surveillance-only drones like the Hodhod-1, which operates within a limited range of just 30 kilometres (18 miles) and can stay airborne for only a couple of hours.. Agha elaborates on Israel's strategic outlook: Israel has historically approached conflict with a short, decisive strategy (6-7 days)..
