(SeaPRwire) –   Iran’s military isn’t built to secure victory in a traditional war against the U.S. or Israel. Instead, its design focuses on outlasting such a conflict—absorbing harm and keeping up the fight over an extended period, according to experts.

This approach is evident both in the structure of Iran’s armed forces and their current performance following weeks of continuous U.S. and Israeli attacks.

The campaign has been substantial in scope. Since Operation Epic Fury began, over 9,000 targets have been hit—including missile sites, air defense systems, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command hubs, and weapons manufacturing plants—accompanied by more than 9,000 combat sorties, per a March 23, 2026, fact sheet from U.S. Central Command.

U.S. authorities state the goal is straightforward.

“We are targeting and eliminating Iran’s ballistic missile systems … destroying the Iranian Navy … and ensuring Iran cannot rapidly rebuild,” Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said during a March Pentagon briefing.

However, analysts warn the situation is more nuanced.

“It’s a mixed bag,” Nicholas Carl—who is a fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute think tank and assistant director of the Critical Threats Project—told Digital. “On one hand, (Iran’s military) is badly degraded across the board, but the regime still retains a significant amount of capability.”

Iran’s military system is centered on an intentional two-part structure: the Artesh, its conventional army, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—a separate force established post-1979 revolution to protect the regime.

Carl notes that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has molded Iran’s armed forces over decades with a single key goal: maintaining the Islamic Republic and spreading its revolutionary beliefs.

“You have to distinguish between the IRGC and the regular army,” Middle East intelligence expert Danny Citrinowicz told Digital. “The IRGC gets all of the budgets — better salaries, better equipment, better everything.”

Carl characterizes the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a “deeply ideological praetorian guard,” whereas the Artesh is a more traditional force responsible for guarding Iran’s borders.

Yet this division isn’t black and white.

“The IRGC is probably the more dangerous of the two, but we cannot discount the threat that the regular military poses as well,” Carl said.

Even after widespread attacks, Iran’s missile program continues to be the foundation of its military strength.

The IRGC Aerospace Force has invested years in developing what Carl calls the Middle East’s largest missile stockpile.

U.S. officials claim these capabilities have been greatly diminished by recent attacks.

“Iran’s ballistic missile shots fired are down 86% from the first day of fighting,” Caine said in a Pentagon briefing earlier in March, adding that drone launches have dropped by roughly 73%.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated during the same briefing that the campaign has drastically curbed Iran’s capacity to keep up its attacks.

“The enemy can no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did, not even close,” he said.

Yet even U.S. officials admit the threat is still present.

“Iran will still be able to shoot some missiles … and launch one-way attack drones,” Hegseth said.

Carl noted that the drop in missile and drone fire has leveled off.

“Iranian missile and drone fire has dropped precipitously … about 90% since the war began… but that number has been consistent for weeks,” he said. “That means they still retain enough capability to sustain strikes across the region.”

Citrinowicz provided a comparable analysis.

“They suffered blows, but still hold the ability and still have the capacity to launch missiles for weeks to come,” he said.

U.S. estimates referenced by Carl indicate that around one-third of Iran’s missile capabilities are still operational.

“The regime still does have a significant capability to threaten targets across the region … especially as it demonstrates the ability to shoot beyond 2,000 kilometers,” Carl said.

The Pentagon claims it has achieved significant progress against Iran’s naval units.

Over 140 Iranian ships have been damaged or destroyed, per U.S. Central Command.

Caine said U.S. forces have “effectively neutralized” Iran’s major naval presence in the region.

However, analysts caution that Iran’s naval threat never relied on large vessels.

The IRGC Navy is structured around “area denial capabilities,” such as fast attack boats, mines, missiles, and drones intended to swarm enemies and disrupt sea traffic.

“They still have the capacity — speedboats, drones, surface-to-sea missiles — allowing them to block the Strait of Hormuz,” Citrinowicz said.

Carl warned against a widespread misunderstanding.

“It’s not technically accurate to say the Strait of Hormuz is closed … Iran is selectively denying access … firing at some ships while allowing others to pass,” he said.

“Iran has to do very, very little to achieve a meaningful effect.”

U.S. officials state the campaign has made significant advances in air operations.

“We will have complete control of Iranian skies, uncontested airspace,” Hegseth said.

Caine added that U.S. forces have already established “localized air superiority” and are expanding operations deeper into Iranian territory.

But Iran’s air force was never the focal point of its strategy. Decades of sanctions have left it dependent on outdated planes and with limited modernization, rendering it much less capable than its Western or regional rivals.

“There is definitely a setback … but Iran was never built on an air force,” Citrinowicz said.

Instead, Iran depends on missiles, drones, and layered defense systems.

On the ground, Iran holds a critical edge: its forces have mostly avoided direct confrontation.

The Artesh ground forces—comprising dozens of brigades—are mainly stationed to protect Iran’s borders, per Carl’s report.

“The ground troops are still intact, nobody has invaded Iran,” Citrinowicz said.

He pointed out that ground forces are more frequently launching drones, indicating a wider change in Iran’s combat tactics.

Outside its borders, Iran’s military influence is expanded via a network of proxy forces overseen by the IRGC’s Quds Force.

Carl said the Quds Force provides “leadership, materiel, intelligence, training and funds” to allied militias across the Middle East, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.

“The ‘Axis of Resistance’ is the central mechanism by which Iran can further regionalize the conflict … to endanger as many actors’ interests as possible,” Carl said.

Iran’s military is also organized to address internal threats, underscoring its primary mission: keeping the regime in power.

The outcome is a military force constructed around redundancy, asymmetric tactics, and stamina.

Even after weeks of continuous attacks, Iran still has sufficient capability to keep launching missiles, disrupting global shipping, and using proxy forces across the region.

While it may be weakened, it continues to pose a strategic danger.

“We cannot discount the threat that the Iranian military poses,” Carl said, “it remains a force capable of threatening regional and international security.”