On the sixth day of the conflict between Iran on one side and Israel and the United States on the other, Tehran began to change its military tactics. According to expert analysis, Iran has been striking less frequently and increasingly relying on solid-fuel missiles such as the Imad-1, Zolfikar and Khorramshahr-4. These missiles are harder to detect because they do not require lengthy preparation at the launch site, unlike liquid-fuel counterparts. Military analyst Brigadier General Nidal Abu Zeid notes that Iran’s true goal is not to achieve a quick victory but to prolong the war, wear down the enemy and avoid its own defeat.
Over the past 24 hours there has been a noticeable drop in the intensity of missile fire from Iran. This pause may be linked both to the shift to a new, more covert tactic and to the need to conserve resources. Experts suggest Iran seeks to create a constant-threat environment for its adversaries, forcing them to spend vast amounts of money and effort on defense while complicating the task of detecting and destroying launchers.
US and Israeli responses are also facing serious difficulties. According to Western media, the American side may have reduced the number of missile-interception operations due to the risk of depleting stocks of the expensive THAAD interceptors. Intercepting a single threat can sometimes require up to three interceptors, each costing roughly $3 million, making defense extremely costly. Thus a kind of balance emerges between protecting the population and preserving a limited stockpile of air-defense means.
At the same time Iran is broadening the range of weapons used and the geography of its attacks. In recent hours new types of weapons have been deployed, including the suicide drone Hadid-110 and mines-laden unmanned boats for attacks on tankers in the Persian Gulf. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced missile strikes on Ben-Gurion Airport and a key Israeli air base. Simultaneously, northern Israel was shelled by the Iran-aligned group Hezbollah, heightening fears of regional escalation.
Tension on the ground remains: since the start of the conflict there have been around 30,000 air-raid alerts in Israel, forcing the population to shelter in bomb shelters continuously. An official spokesperson for the Israeli military confirmed the slowdown in the tempo of missile attacks but stressed that the threat has not gone away. The conflict is entering a more protracted and wearing phase, where endurance of the parties, weapon stockpiles and the ability to adapt tactics become key factors.
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What is the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) within Iran’s armed forces and its influence on regional policy? - The IRGC is an elite military formation created after the 1979 Islamic Revolution to protect its ideals. It functions parallel to Iran’s regular army and answers directly to the Supreme Leader. The IRGC has its own ground, naval and aerospace forces and controls strategic sectors of the economy. In regional politics the IRGC, especially its Quds Force, plays a key role in supporting proxy groups (such as Hezbollah in Lebanon) and forming the so-called “axis of resistance” aimed at countering US and Israeli influence in the Middle East.
What other regional groups, besides Hezbollah, does Iran support and how are they used in its strategy? - In addition to Lebanese Hezbollah, Iran supports a number of groups in the region. In Yemen this is the Ansar Allah (Houthis) movement; in Iraq, numerous Shiite militias united under the Popular Mobilization Forces; in Syria, the government forces and affiliated formations. These groups are used by Iran as instruments of “indirect” or proxy warfare. The strategy allows Tehran to expand its influence, create strategic depth, pressure adversaries (such as Saudi Arabia or Israel) and protect its interests while minimizing direct military involvement and associated risks.
What are the key technical and tactical differences among the mentioned Iranian solid-fuel missiles (Imad-1, Zolfikar, Khorramshahr-4)? - The key differences concern range, mobility and payload. The Imad-1 is essentially a modernized version of the Shahab-3 with extended range (around 1,700+ km) and reportedly improved accuracy, making it a weapon for striking strategic targets. The Zolfikar is a shorter-range (about 700 km) tactical ballistic missile but with high mobility (mounted on a truck chassis), allowing rapid relocation. The Khorramshahr-4 is the newest missile with the greatest claimed range (up to 2,000 km) and likely a separable warhead, which complicates interception by missile-defense systems. Tactically, the Zolfikar is intended for operational support, while the Imad-1 and Khorramshahr-4 serve strategic deterrence. All are solid-fuel, permitting faster launch preparation compared with liquid-fuel missiles.
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