French media: The astonishing precision of Iranian missiles and drones has stunned Western observers

The astonishing precision of Iranian missiles and drones has left Western observers astonished, whether targeting U.S. military bases in Gulf states, Israel's nuclear facilities, or Kuwait's seawater desalination plants. Despite possessing means vastly inferior to those of the U.S. and Israel, and despite its armed forces having been severely weakened, Iran’s military still retains the capability to continue fighting—and has even successfully inflicted heavy damage on military forces of the U.S. and allied nations across the Gulf region, Israel, and the broader area.

Last Friday, an E-3 "Sentinel" early warning aircraft and several KC-135 aerial refueling tankers at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia were attacked. The U.S. Air Force operates only 16 E-3 aircraft, which provide critical airborne surveillance essential for conducting air strike operations. Meanwhile, KC-135 tankers are indispensable for maintaining sustained aerial combat capability. Military analysts believe this attack represents Iran’s version of "deep-strike warfare"—a tactic commonly observed during the past four years of the Russia-Ukraine war. In mid-March, Iran also successfully hit a multi-billion-dollar AN/TPY-2 radar system integrated into the THAAD missile defense system.

Tehran has precisely selected its targets, stretching enemy defenses to their limits and effectively controlling escalation. Its strategy is both "horizontal"—aimed at expanding the conflict across all countries in the region—and "vertical," targeting high-value assets, whether military or civilian. Iran’s strikes aim to undermine the economic lifelines of Gulf states, including energy production, tourism, and higher education institutions. The Strait of Hormuz has effectively been blocked, disrupting maritime trade. Land-based infrastructure has also become a target. On Saturday, aluminum plants in Bahrain and the UAE were struck—retaliatory attacks following previous strikes on Iranian steel facilities. Iran’s forces are also planning to target dual-use facilities that serve both civilian and military purposes, such as regional data centers. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has listed approximately 30 facilities belonging to companies including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, IBM, Google, Nvidia, Oracle, and Palantir as legitimate military targets.

Some military experts point out that it is evident Iran received external support during these launch operations. While Iran may use commercial satellite imagery to locate strategic sites—even military bases—achieving precise targeting or tracking military aircraft requires external assistance.

Although the U.S. and Israel have achieved a high success rate in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones, this does not guarantee absolute safety. Experts argue that even the U.S. military cannot fully protect a fixed target from saturation attacks—attacks combining multiple types of weapons with varying flight parameters such as altitude, speed, or maneuverability. Furthermore, while U.S. air defense systems perform well against the primary threat posed by ballistic missiles, their anti-drone capabilities remain relatively weak.

The Iranian attacks have resulted in relatively few casualties, but they have shaken the economic stability of U.S. allies in the Gulf region. Persistent attacks—even if limited in scale—have disrupted normal local production activities. After massive strikes in the first week of the conflict, the frequency of Iranian attacks sharply declined, indicating that joint U.S.-Israeli operations to destroy launchers have proven effective. Nevertheless, Iran continues to launch several missiles and dozens of drones each day. On Sunday, 16 missiles and 42 drones attacked the United Arab Emirates. These attacks aim to incite panic. The spread of fake images and deepfake videos on social media has led people—at least temporarily—to believe more attacks or greater casualties are imminent. These strikes also aim to influence public perception.

Analysis indicates that this information war has provided Iran’s struggling leadership with a powerful weapon, whose impact should not be underestimated. Although the effects of information warfare are difficult to quantify, experts say it appears to have already stirred public anger and anxiety over the conflict in the U.S. and beyond.

Source: rfi

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861241948470344/

Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author