Iran Changed War Tactics as US Missile Interceptors Ran Low: Report

Iran has rapidly adapted its missile and drone tactics during the recent US aggression, increasingly challenging US air defenses across West Asia as Washington’s stockpile of Patriot interceptors comes under growing pressure, according to a report.

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that during five days of intense attacks last month, Iran launched waves of drones and missiles at US forces stationed at three bases in Jordan. The attacks were aimed at overwhelming American air defenses, including through the use of missiles that could unexpectedly change direction.

On July 17, an Iranian missile managed to get through the defenses and hit prefabricated housing units at a US base. The strike killed three American soldiers and injured more than 100 others. Pentagon officials also said additional troops were wounded and several aircraft were damaged during attacks in Jordan that week.

“We shot down almost all the missiles,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after the deadly strike. “One leaked through.”

The attacks have highlighted two major developments. Iran appears to be changing its tactics to find weaknesses in US air defenses, while the United States is using large numbers of expensive interceptor missiles to defend its forces.

According to The New York Times, citing two people briefed on US stockpile levels, the Pentagon has used more than 1,500 Patriot interceptors during the war and has fewer than 1,700 remaining. The United States produced around 600 Patriot interceptors during 2025.

On one day during the deadly week in Jordan, US forces reportedly fired about 50 Patriot interceptors. Each interceptor costs approximately $4 million.

Iran has increasingly studied tactics used in other conflicts, particularly the war in Ukraine. Russia has used combinations of ballistic and cruise missiles followed by drone attacks to put pressure on air-defense systems.

“The Iranians are making it more difficult on air defenses when you have a range of both missiles and drones coming in,” said Seth G. Jones, president of the defense and security department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The pressure on US defenses comes despite earlier claims from the Pentagon that Iran’s missile capabilities had been severely weakened. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in April that Iran’s missile program had been “functionally destroyed,” with its launchers and missiles heavily depleted.

Experts believe the US administration initially expected the conflict to be relatively short and did not anticipate how quickly it would use American missile-defense stocks.

Vali Nasr, a professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, said Iranian leaders had been preparing for such a situation since the June 2025 12-day war. During that conflict, Iran observed how quickly Israeli and US forces used ballistic-missile interceptors against Iranian attacks.

Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan became an important US military hub. American forces previously based in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates were moved to Jordan before and during the war because the location was considered less vulnerable to Iranian drone and ballistic-missile attacks.

After the July 17 strike, US commanders increased air-defense measures in Jordan and other locations across the region.

Iran has also changed its tactics in other parts of the conflict. In April, Iranian forces reportedly shot down a US F-15E fighter jet over southern Iran using a surface-to-air missile.

Both the pilot and weapons officer ejected from the aircraft. The United States said the pilot was rescued quickly, while the weapons officer was reportedly missing for nearly two days before US officials said Special Operations forces rescued him after he had hidden from Iranian security forces.

However, questions have remained about the incident, with details surrounding the episode still unclear.

US officials said Iran had learned lessons from the war in Ukraine and used a group of drones to monitor an area entered by American fighter jets. The drones reportedly provided Iranian commanders with information about the F-15E, including its GPS location, speed and direction.

According to US military officials, the aircraft’s defensive systems gave its crew only about half a second of warning before it was hit by the surface-to-air missile. The fighter jet, valued at around $60 million, was destroyed despite its advanced defensive systems.

The incident showed how Iran could combine drones for surveillance and targeting with surface-to-air missiles to exploit weaknesses in US air operations.

Iran has also taken steps to protect its military and strategic assets. Its forces have dispersed personnel and facilities and relied on heavily fortified underground locations, making it harder for US and Israeli forces to locate and destroy important targets.

Meanwhile, Trump recently halted planned bombing raids against Iran, saying that Tehran and other regional countries had requested a pause after “the perimeters of a deal” had been reached.

Saudi officials have reportedly warned that increased US attacks could lead to Iranian retaliation against energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf.

The developments come amid continued tensions between Iran and the United States. Iranian officials have repeatedly warned that any new attack by Washington or Tel Aviv would receive a strong response.