Iran's War of Attrition Against the U.S. and Israel in 2026

The intense conflict between the United States (US) and Israel against Iran, which began with joint US-Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory on February 28, 2026, and continues to rage today, has had devastating consequences. One of these is the emergence of an unusual Iranian war strategy. Amid the joint US-Israeli onslaught targeting Iran’s vital points through massive bombing and airstrikes, Iran—which appears to have survived—has worked hard to withstand all US-Israeli airstrikes employing advanced weaponry; ultimately, the Persian nation has unveiled its ultimate war strategy.

In addition to retaliating against the joint U.S.-Israeli attack by launching ballistic missiles and drones toward Israel and U.S. military bases in Gulf countries, Iran is also waging a war of attrition—a military strategy aimed at gradually weakening the enemy by depleting its resources, logistics, and personnel, rather than focusing solely on a quick victory.

Picture`s Source: BBC

This kind of attrition warfare will prolong the conflict. As a result, the enemy will run out of war resources and fighting spirit. Iran is doing this by deploying stockpiles of older, low-cost missiles and drones, such as the Shahed drone, which costs between 20,000 and 50,000 USD (equivalent to 320 million to 850 million IDR), and the Shahab 1 and Shahab 2 missiles, priced between 1 million and 2 million USD. It turns out that Iran’s military maneuvers like this must be intercepted by the US and Israel using advanced, expensive interceptor systems such as the Iron Dome and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), which costs 1 billion USD—or 17 trillion rupiah—per battery.

Furthermore, Iran has only occasionally launched its newest missiles, such as the Sejjil and Fattah. Additionally, Iran employs another attrition warfare tactic by closing the Strait of Hormuz, which has led to a surge in global oil prices to $100 per barrel, threatening the global economy with recession due to inflation in food and other commodity prices resulting from soaring global oil prices. Iran also attacks oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz without Iranian permission.

In response, the U.S. asked its allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had closed; Iran responded by standing firm in its decision to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes. Tragically, U.S. allies in NATO, such as the United Kingdom and Germany, rejected Trump’s call to join the war against Iran, arguing that it was not a NATO war.

Iran’s strategy of attrition has been effective in throwing the U.S., Israel, and other countries into disarray. The US has tentatively signaled a desire to end the war, to which Iran responded by stating that it would only agree to peace if the US and Israel met three conditions: First, recognition of Iran’s legitimate rights. Second, payment of war reparations. Third, a binding international guarantee against future attacks.

The U.S. and Israel are indeed still attacking Iran, killing many key Iranian leaders and civilians and destroying strategic Iranian targets. However, their goal of replacing the Iranian leadership with a figure favored by the U.S. has never materialized because the Iranian people cannot be provoked or interfered with by anyone. The people have chosen to remain loyal and support the current Iranian leadership following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated by the US and Israel.

In fact, under the leadership of the new regime headed by Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran is even more determined to exact full retribution for all the crimes and military attacks committed by the US and Israel. Iran’s war of attrition will force the US and Israel into a protracted conflict, draining their resources, and Iran has already declared itself ready for a long war. How will the story of the US-Israel war against Iran in 2026 end? Only time will tell.