In addition to thousands of advanced ballistic missiles, Iran has manufactured an unknown number of Shahed-type kamikaze drones for use against American forces.

Tensions between the United States and Iran remain high over the Middle Eastern country’s recent crackdown against protestors, leaving thousands dead and prompting the United States to send the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group into the region. Some observers have speculated that the American military buildup could be the prelude to a strike inside Iran, akin to the “Operation Midnight Hammer” strike against Iran’s nuclear program in June 2025.  

Should the present tensions come to military blows, Iran will likely retaliate by firing thousands of ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones against US positions in the region.  

Understanding Iran’s Ballistic Missile Arsenal—and Its Likely Targets

Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal is multifaceted, with several different munitions of varying capabilities. The main missiles that could prove a threat to US forces are the Khorramshahr, Sejjil, Emad, Ghadr-110, Fattah-1, Haj Qasem, Kheibar Shekan, and Dezful munitions. These munitions have ranges spanning from 620 to 1,240 miles.

This would put 31 US bases housing US troops in the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe within range of Iran’s arsenal. The majority of these locations are in countries close to Iran—particularly Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, Naval Support Activity Bahrain in Bahrain, and the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the respective hubs for the US Army, US Navy, and US Air Force in the Persian Gulf region.

Other nearby bases in Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Turkey could also fall under threat. So could certain US facilities outside the Middle East—such as US bases in Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania—that are still within range of Iranian ballistic missiles.

Iran Has Kamikaze Drones, Too

In addition to ballistic missiles, Iran maintains a large and advanced one-way attack unmanned aerial system arsenal. The infamous Shahed-type drones, of which there are several different variants, have the ability to fly hundreds of miles and deliver deadly payloads with relative precision.

The US air and naval armada already encountered Iran’s drones when a Shahed-129 medium drone veered too close to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier battle group, prompting a Marine Corps F-35C Lightning II stealth fighter jet to shoot it down.  

In a potential clash with Iran, the US military can expect swarms of Iranian kamikaze drones to attack air bases and naval forces in the region. Although individual Iranian loitering munitions are not hard to deal with, the task becomes much harder when they are deployed en masse. That is the strategy behind drone swarms: Iran can fire scores of cheap, disposable projectiles in the hopes that they will saturate the adversary’s air defense capabilities, and some will manage to sneak their way through to their targets, inflicting disproportionate damage. Moreover, mixing more advanced missiles together with drones makes it harder for US air defenses to pick out and target the missiles, increasing their chances of a successful hit as well.

The US military has moved significant air defense assets in the region, including Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and MIM-104 Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries, in preparation for drone swarm attacks.  

Iran and America Could Be on the Brink of War

Starting in December, the Iranian people took to the streets to protest against the collapse of the country’s economy. The protests soon amounted to a public vote of no confidence in the country’s leadership and backwardness.

The theocratic regime responded in force. Security forces have killed and wounded thousands of people all across the country. The sheer violence of the regime has triggered widespread outrage around the world, including in the United States. In the days since, the White House has sent an air and naval armada to the Persian Gulf, threatening Tehran with military force.

Even after last summer’s military defeat in the hands of Israel, Iran maintains a powerful military that could strike back at US bases across the region.  

In the event of a military clash with Iran, the US military’s main challenge will be to take out Tehran’s ballistic missile and one-way attack unmanned aerial system threat.  

About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou  

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.   

Image: Shutterstock / Dancing_Man.

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