 "Bhaswar Kumar")
 "Refiners find it difficult and logistically complex to get adequate fuel, especially LNG & LPG, from sources other than West Asia even if they pay high premiums")
The roughly 40,000 US troops across bases in West Asia also lacked adequate protection against Iranian missiles and drones. Photo: Reuters
The opening salvo of the war in West Asia on February 28 delivered a seismic shock, with the United States (US)–Israeli strikes killing Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. However abrupt and unforeseen the assassination appeared, it was the culmination of a weeks-long US military build-up, which unfolded in plain sight and was the most significant US deployment in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
When protests over dire economic conditions spread across Iran in mid-January, US President Donald Trump told demonstrators that “Help is on its way”. At the time, however, the US lacked the posture to follow through. It reportedly had no aircraft carrier in the region and only a limited number of combat aircraft. The roughly 40,000 US troops across bases in West Asia also lacked adequate protection against Iranian missiles and drones.
Under one-third of US Navy deployed
The scale of the US build-up is evident when one considers that the conflict with Iran ultimately saw the deployment of two aircraft carriers: 50 per cent of the four vessels then available for deployment, from a fleet of 11. Even so, our calculations, based on data from a US think tank, the Atlantic Council, show that less than a third of the US Navy’s surface fleet was committed. When considered alongside data from the US-based Global Firepower project, which ranks the conventional military strength of over 145 nations, calculations indicate that the US deployments of fighter and attack aircraft amounted to roughly 15 per cent of its available inventory.
Only 18% of US airpower committed
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 "U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during a press conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 6, 2026")
Up to 15 per cent of the US’ missile defence inventory was also committed. Iran, nonetheless, inflicted substantial damage across Gulf states, including US military installations in the region, as well as Israel, through sustained missile and drone barrages. The sheer volume of projectiles played a significant role in circumventing US, Arab and Israeli air and missile defence networks. As of April 6, Iran had launched 4,962 drones and 2,108 ballistic missiles since the war began, according to another US think tank, the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.
Up to 15% of US air and missile defence in play
By the time the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on April 8, calculations based on multiple intelligence estimates suggested that Iran retained 28–34 per cent of its pre-conflict ballistic missile arsenal — equivalent to roughly 800–1,000 of an estimated 2,900 projectiles — and between 17 and 50 per cent of its drone inventory, or approximately 1,000–5,000 systems out of an initial stock of 6,000–10,000.
Iran’s missile, drone and launcher inventory hit hard
The conflict being confined to air strikes and long-range projectiles allowed Iran to offset a vast material disadvantage, with the US ($997 billion) and Israel ($46.5 billion) outspending it ($7.9 billion) on defence by more than 130 times.
Under 1% of US airpower hit
Iran reportedly retains 80–90 per cent of its small surface naval vessels, allowing it to continue threatening the Strait of Hormuz and global energy supplies. Overall, the conflict illustrates the growing impact of two trends: the proliferation of low-cost unmanned systems and the increasing availability of space-based targeting combined with ballistic missiles.
Together, these developments allow smaller military powers to inflict damage on far larger adversaries.
US and Israeli defence spending 130× Iran’s
US claims Iran’s military capability heavily degraded
Written By
Bhaswar Kumar
Bhaswar Kumar has over seven years of experience in journalism. He has written on India Inc, corporate governance, government policy, and economic data. Currently, he covers defence, security and geopolitics, focusing on defence procurement policies, defence and aerospace majors, and developments in India’s neighbourhood.
 "Bhaswar Kumar")
First Published: May 10 2026 | 8:24 AM IST
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