SATISH SHARMA - not just Rotigraphy.: Iran found the way past America's air defenses... and the trick is simple: MAKE THEM RUN OUT

https://x.com/MarioNawfal/status/2087325323553615931

Mario Nawfal

 Iran found the way past America's air defenses... and the trick is simple: MAKE THEM RUN OUT

-Over five days last month Iran threw waves of drones and missiles at three U.S. bases in Jordan, using advanced missiles that change course mid flight to force American crews to burn through scarce Patriot interceptors

-On the fifth day one got through. A missile hit prefabricated housing units on July 17, killing three American soldiers and wounding more than 100, with the Pentagon later acknowledging scores more injured and several aircraft damaged that week

-Marco Rubio on the strike: "One leaked through"

-The Pentagon has fired more than 1,500 Patriot interceptors in this war and has FEWER THAN 1,700 left, according to two people briefed on stockpile levels. The United States built roughly 600 in all of 2025

-American forces fired about 50 interceptors in a single day during that week, at roughly $4 million each

-Iran is running Russia's Ukraine playbook, mixing ballistic and cruise missiles to saturate air defenses before pushing drones through the gap

-Hegseth said on April 8 that Iran's missile program was "functionally destroyed." Iran dug its missiles out of the bombed underground sites and resumed firing

-In April Iran downed a $60 million F-15E with a shoulder fired missile after drones fed its GPS position, speed and direction to Iranian commanders, giving the crew half a second of warning

-Two weeks ago Trump called off bombing raids after the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar asked him to pursue talks, with Mohammed bin Salman warning that major strikes would bring Iranian retaliation down on Gulf energy infrastructure

-The Pentagon publicly denies any shortfall, with spokesman Sean Parnell saying claims of munition shortages are false

Run the arithmetic and the entire standoff explains itself. 

More than 1,500 interceptors spent, under 1,700 in reserve, and a production line that managed around 600 in a full year. 

Tehran's whole approach rests on making America keep firing them.

Source: The New York Times / Writer: Daniel