Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles at Israel on Sunday, including at least one carrying a cluster bomb warhead, reported the Times of Israel. The attack marked the sixth salvo of the day targeting Israel.Video posted on social media appeared to show what could be sub‑munitions from the Iranian cluster warhead falling over Israel. In the footage, several glowing objects can be seen descending separately across the sky, spreading out over a wide area.Six people were injured, one of them seriously, at two impact sites in central Israel. Photos and videos from the scenes showed widespread damage, and more than a dozen impact sites were reported across the region. Police officials said the spread of the impacts indicated that the Iranian missile was likely carrying a cluster bomb warhead. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said search and rescue soldiers were dispatched to the scenes.Cluster bombs or cluster munitions are weapons designed to release many smaller explosive devices, known as submunitions or bomblets, from a single missile, rocket, or aircraft bomb. “The warhead of such missiles opens up while descending and scatters around 20 smaller munitions with around 2.5 kg of explosives in a radius of around 8 km,” the IDF said.Unlike conventional missiles that explode in a single blast, these weapons burst open mid‑air, scattering dozens of smaller explosive bomblets across a large zone. Military analysts warn that the introduction of these weapons changes the dynamics of the conflict. Instead of a single explosion at one point, a cluster warhead can scatter many smaller bombs across a wide area, increasing civilian casualties and causing greater infrastructure destruction.Israeli experts have indicated that Iran might have received help from external sources for the deadly missiles, with speculation of possible transfer of military technology from either Russia or China.The 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), which entered into force in 2010, bans the use, development, production, acquisition, and transfer of cluster munitions. So far, 111 countries and 12 other entities have signed the treaty.

Why cluster bombs are tricky

Cluster bombs are among the most controversial weapons used in modern warfare because “once the main warhead opens in the air, the bomblets spread across a large area and detonate on impact.”Designed to cover wide zones rather than strike a single target, cluster munitions cannot precisely distinguish between military and civilian targets, drawing strong criticism from humanitarian groups. Key features include hitting multiple targets at once, scattering dozens of bomblets over a large area, and increasing the risk of damage to vehicles, infrastructure, and people. Because the bomblets spread across a broad area, their use poses significant risks to civilians.Israel’s Iron Dome is designed to track a single incoming projectile, such as a Grad or Fajr rocket. If the rocket carries a cluster warhead, it remains a single target for most of its flight. Iron Dome’s Tamir interceptor uses a proximity fuse: when it gets close to the incoming rocket, it explodes, shredding the rocket’s casing with shrapnel. If hit early enough, the cluster submunitions inside can be destroyed or neutralized mid-air before scattering.For long-range ballistic missiles, Israel relies on the Arrow Missile Defense System, which intercepts targets at high altitudes, often outside the atmosphere with Arrow 3.Cluster warheads complicate missile defense because the small bomblets released over a wide area cannot be tracked individually by missile defense radars. Systems like Iron Dome or Arrow must attempt to stop multiple falling submunitions at once, increasing the chance that some may slip through. One of the most serious risks comes from unexploded bomblets, which can remain on the ground like hidden landmines, posing long-term threats to civilians and emergency responders even years after a conflict ends.

Arshdeep Singh and Daryl Mitchell (Image credit: X)

NEW DELHI: India created history at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, defeating New Zealand by 96 runs to become the first team to retain the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, claim a third title, and lift the trophy on home soil in front of 86,824 fans. Captain Suryakumar Yadav will now join the elite group of Indian captains to win a men’s cricket World Cup, maintaining an unbeaten record since taking charge in July 2024.The final had its share of drama during New Zealand’s chase, with India pacer Arshdeep Singh rattling Daryl Mitchell in a heated moment. In the fifth delivery of the 11th over, Arshdeep, reintroduced after the halfway mark, threw a follow-through ball at the stumps after collecting it, inadvertently hitting Mitchell on the thigh.

Mitchell, frustrated after earlier being sent for a six, charged at Arshdeep with animated gestures. Suryakumar quickly intervened, calming Mitchell, while the umpire spoke to Arshdeep. The pacer immediately apologized after delivering the final ball of the over, shaking hands and sharing a side hug with Mitchell.Reflecting on the incident in an interview with Harsha Bhogle, Arshdeep said: “Mai Mitchell ko sorry bolne gya tha [I just ran off to apologise to Mitchell]. The ball reverse-swung when I threw it and it hit him. Right now it feels great but the emotions will sink in the next 2-4 days. This is a very good team with a lot of match-winners, and the result will be cherry on the cake. As a bowler, our role is to restrict them to under 250 if we score 250 and when bowling first, it’s just to restrict them to as little as possible.”Earlier, India’s batters had set the tone, with Sanju Samson blazing 89 off 46 balls, complemented by Abhishek Sharma’s 52 and Ishan Kishan’s 54. Their power-hitting propelled India to 255/5, the second-highest total of the tournament and the highest ever posted in a T20 World Cup final. James Neesham briefly slowed the onslaught with three wickets in a single over, but Shivam Dube’s unbeaten 26 off eight balls took India past 250.In reply, Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah demolished New Zealand’s top order, reducing the visitors to 52/3 inside the powerplay, extinguishing any chance of a record chase. India lived up to the hype, sealing a historic victory and capturing their third T20 World Cup title, having previously triumphed in 2007 and 2024.

NEW DELHI: In a startling disclosure on International Women’s Day, former CJI NV Ramana on Sunday said the govt either lacked intent or determination towards achieving gender parity in constitutional courts, even though there was a healthy 40% representation by women among trial court judges.Speaking at a question-answer session during the first national conference of ‘Indian Women in Law’ at SC, Justice Ramana – who faced numerous pulls and pressures during his tenure as CJI from April 2021 to Aug 2022 – said, “The govt always showed a causal attitude in appointments of women (as judges of SC and high courts).”During his tenure as head of the collegium, three women judges – Justices Hima Kohli, Bela M Trivedi and BV Nagarathna – took oath on Aug 31, 2021, and created history. No other woman judge has been appointed to SC since then, despite the baton passing on to five CJIs – UU Lalit, DY Chandrachud, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai and now Surya Kant. Justice Nagarathna will become the first woman CJI on Sept 24 next year. Speaking in her presence, the former CJI said there are two future CJIs in this gathering (referring to Justice Nagarathna and and her successor Justice PS Narasimha) and hoped that during their tenure at least 7-8 women judges will be appointed to SC. Justice Nagarathna, who will retire on Oct 29, 2027, assured Justice Ramana that she would try her best to get more women judges to the top court.Explaining what he meant by lack of intent on the govt’s part, Justice Ramana said though successive law ministers had routinely requested high court chief justices to recommend names of women advocates and judicial officers for appointment as HC judges, “the govt has never strongly insisted on effective representation of women in each and every recommendation.”Justice Ramana said there is a healthy 40% representation of women among judicial officers. There are only 116 women HC judges among a sanctioned strength of 1,122 and only one woman judge in SC, which has a sanctioned strength of 34 judges.He said it would be unfair to lay the blame entirely at the govt’s door for the skewed representation of women in the judiciary. “The judiciary must respond with sincerity towards inclusivity as there is no dearth of talented women lawyers who can be HC judges,” Justice Ramana said.“Except few HC’s, most major metropolitan centres – there exists a large pool of highly competent women lawyers. It is very worrisome, as to why these numbers are not reflected in the judicial appointments,” he said.

NEW DELHI: Amid heavy police deployment in west Delhi’s Uttam Nagar, civic authorities Sunday demolished illegal portions of a house linked to one of the accused in the Holi clash that left 26-year-old Tarun dead.. The action came amid heightened tension in the JJ Colony area, where Tarun’s family and neighbours said the demolition alone was not enough while demanding similar action on houses of relatives of the main accused.Locals alleged that the demolished property belonged to three brothers related to the woman who was accidentally splashed with colour during Holi, which allegedly triggered the chain of events leading to the assault on Tarun. People in the lane claimed several members of the extended family live close by.

One of their houses stands next to Tarun’s home while the demolished structure was at the end of the lane.Memraj, Tarun’s father, alleged that the lane was filled with relatives of the accused, which discouraged others from intervening. He also claimed some of them tried to prevent neighbours from stepping out of their homes to help by locking their doors from outside.“We have lived in this block for nearly 50 years. Earlier their family had just one house here, but over time it has grown to nearly 10-15,” Memraj told TOI. “On the day of the incident, many of them gathered and intimidated us while my wife, other women and elderly people were pleading with them to stop. People think my son was attacked in the heat of the moment but the fight had been going on for hours. He had nothing to do with the argument. He was called there later to come save us while we were all locked inside and specifically targeted.”Police have since arrested another individual identified as Imran, taking the number of arrests to seven.Another family member said, “All the houses belonging to those involved should be demolished and more arrests made. What will happen when the police leave and the barricades are removed? Everyone who played a role, including the woman involved in the argument, should be arrested. At least 20-25 more people were part of the attack, not just seven or eight”An MCD official said the demolition was limited to the illegal portion of the structure. “The part built over the drain has been removed. Water used to accumulate there, especially during the monsoon. Only the encroached section has been demolished, and similar action may continue in other areas as well,” the official said. The demolition comes a day after CM Rekha Gupta said on social media platform X that “Strict and exemplary action will be taken in this case, so that no one dares to commit such an inhumane act in the future”

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stepped up his attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal govt over alleged “mismanagement” of an event attended by President Droupadi Murmu, accusing TMC of insulting the head of state and warning that the party’s “arrogance of power will soon be shattered”.The MHA sought a report from Bengal govt on suspected violations of security and protocol norms during the President’s visit. In a letter to chief secretary Nandini Chakraborty, Union home secretary Govind Mohan asked the state to submit a detailed explanation by 5pm on Sunday regarding alleged breaches of the ‘Blue Book’ guidelines governing venue, security and route arrangements.The controversy has intensified political confrontation between BJP and TMC ahead of assembly elections in Bengal, with both sides accusing each other of politicising the President’s visit and the tribal community event.Addressing a gathering in Delhi’s Burari, where he inaugurated development projects worth about 33,500 crore, Modi said the developments surrounding the President’s visit had “deeply hurt” him.Insult not only to President but also to Constitution: PM ModiToday, when the country is celebrating the achievements of its mothers, sisters and daughters on International Women’s Day, yesterday (Saturday) in West Bengal the TMC govt gravely insulted the President,” Modi said.Referring to the 9th International Santhali Conclave held in Siliguri on Saturday, Modi alleged that the state govt failed to organise the event properly and that TMC boycotted the programme. “President Droupadi Murmu herself comes from the tribal community. Instead of honouring her and celebrating this important tribal event, TMC govt left the programme in a state of mismanagement,” he said.“This is not only an insult to the President, but also an insult to the Constitution, the spirit of the Constitution and the great traditions of our democracy,” Modi said.Warning TMC, the prime minister said, “The dirty politics and arrogance of power shown by TMC in insulting a tribal President will soon be shattered.”The controversy began after President Droupadi Murmu expressed disappointment over the arrangements during her visit to attend the conclave, stating that the venue had been changed to a location that made it difficult for members of the tribal community to attend and noting the absence of the CM or any state minister to receive her.

A sailor of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena, which was sunk by a US submarine in Indian Ocean off the Sri Lankan coast on March 4, had called his father over phone minutes before the frigate was struck by a torpedo, saying American forces had twice ordered the crew to abandon the warship, according to a report by Iran International, a Persian-language satellite TV channel and news network.Despite the twin US warnings, IRIS Dena’s commander refused to allow the crew to abandon the ship, the report said, quoting a source close to the family of the sailor. The sailor’s father said some crew members had argued with the commander, and the 32 sailors who survived the attack were basically those who managed to escape on lifeboats after the warning, according to the source.As per initial reports, there were 180 crew members on board IRIS Dena. Later, Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that there were 130 sailors on the frigate. By the time the Sri Lankan navy reached the spot after getting a distress signal from the Iranian warship, it found the frigate had sunk and 32 crew members were floating on lifeboats on high seas. The Lankan navy rescued the 32 sailors and took them ashore. Later, another Iranian naval vessel, IRIS Bushehr, with 208 crew members took refuge in the island nation.In another development, Jayne Howell, the charge d’affaires at US embassy in Colombo, has urged Sri Lanka not to repatriate the 32 survivors of IRIS Dena as well as the 208 crew members of IRIS Bushehr, currently in Sri Lankan custody, according to an internal US State Department cable dated March 6 seen by Reuters. “Sri Lankan authorities should minimise Iranian attempts to use the detainees for propaganda,” it said. Howell also told the Israeli ambassador to India and Sri Lanka that there was no plan to repatriate the crew to Iran. The envoy asked Howell whether there had been any engagement with the crew to encourage “defection”, the cable said.

On the day that the 2026 T20 World Cup schedule was unveiled, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav was asked his dream match-up for the tournament. The answer came without a flicker of hesitation. “Australia in the final, at the Narendra Modi Stadium.”The Men in Blue have won many matches and tournaments since that heartbreaking loss in the ODI World Cup final in Nov 2023, but the wounds had clearly still not fully healed for Surya — as they hadn’t for so many fans.Surya didn’t get the opponent he craved, but he won’t complain. Nor will the Indian supporters who screamed themselves hoarse — in the stadium and in front of millions of flickering screens, big and small, across the world. On a glorious Sunday night, Team India achieved redemption, and it has rarely tasted sweeter. India didn’t so much win the title as stroll to it. It was a coronation rather than a final.

History, that most stubborn of scorekeepers, was rewritten in bold strokes. No defending champion had ever retained a T20 World Cup. No host nation had survived the suffocating weight of home expectation. No team had lifted the World Cup in this most fickle of formats three times. Check. Check. And emphatically, check.Abhishek Sharma, quiet through much of the tournament, chose the grandest stage to announce himself. He blazed to 50 off 18 balls, the quickest half-century in this tournament and the fastest ever in a T20 WC knockout match. The impetus propelled India to 92/0 in the powerplay, the highest of this WC and the joint-highest in all WCs. New Zealand had put India in, backing themselves to chase on a batting-friendly track. But their gamble — and the strange decision to leave out offspinner Cole McConchie against a line-up packed with left-handers — backfired as India proceeded to bat them out of the match.Sharma fell chasing a wide one, but Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan ensured the scoring rate didn’t slacken. Samson, in the midst of the purplest of patches, became only the third player to score 50s in both the semifinal and final of a T20 WC, following Shahid Afridi in 2009 and Virat Kohli in 2014. He also became only the second player in T20 WCs to score three 80-plus scores in a row, after Mahela Jayawardene in 2010. It’s an elite club, but on his current form, there can be no doubt that Samson truly belongs with these bonafide T20 legends.The player of the tournament award was fitting reward, and completed the fairytale for a player who wasn’t even in India’s first choice XI when the WC began.In the 14th over, he launched Rachin Ravindra for three successive sixes. With that assault, India became the first team to hit 100 sixes in a single edition of a World Cup. Samson fell short of a hundred for the third straight match, but for the third straight match he was India’s lodestar, shaping the contest to his will.Ishan Kishan hammered 54 off 25 balls, making it the first time in a T20 WC knockout that the top 3 had all scored 50s. India surged to 203/1 in 15 overs, and 300 seemed within to beckon.Three quick wickets fell in the 16th over, briefly applying the brakes. But Shivam Dube hit 26 not out from 8 balls to push India to 255/5, the third-highest total in T20 WC history and the highest target ever set in a final. It was 15 more than India had managed in the 2023 ODI final — off 50 overs.England had come close to ascending a similar mountain just three nights ago. NZ, too, bat deep and carry plenty of firepower in their ranks. But this time, there was a feeling that the stars were firmly aligned in India’s favour.Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah, playing in front of an adoring home crowd, made sure of it. They tore through the top order as NZ staggered to 47/3. Varun Chakravarthy again copped a hammering, but hit back to dismiss Tim Seifert for 52 off 26 balls .Kiwi captain Mitchell Santner hit some lusty blows to score 43 off 35 balls. But by then, it was just a question of delaying the inevitable — and the celebrations. Santner was finally bowled by Bumrah, who finished the night with a career-best T20I haul of 4/15 and a tournament haul of 14 wickets (joint-highest with Varun). For the record, India won by 96 runs. But the match had ended as a contest long before the last ball was bowled.

One week into what Donald Trump described as a “four-week operation” against Iran, the war already looks far messier than the confident timelines suggested in Washington. When US and Israeli forces launched Operation Epic Fury on 28–29 February, the opening strikes were designed to decapitate Iran’s leadership and cripple its military infrastructure. American bombers and cruise missiles hit dozens of targets, senior commanders were reportedly killed, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was confirmed dead. Yet over a week later the conflict shows no sign of ending.Missiles continue to streak across the Middle East. Iranian drones buzz over Gulf cities. Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have all reported incoming strikes. Western air defences have intercepted most of them, but not all. Fires have broken out near oil facilities, flights have been briefly halted in Dubai, and several missiles have reached Israeli urban areas.Instead of the swift decapitation strike some in Washington envisioned, the conflict is settling into a grinding contest of endurance. As former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower once observed, “plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”The contrast with the lightning American operation in Venezuela only weeks earlier could not be clearer. There, a single raid toppled Nicolás Maduro’s government in just over two hours. Iran, by contrast, has absorbed the initial blows and continues to fight back.Iran, it turns out, is not Venezuela.

From Caracas to Tehran: Lightning versus marathon

The difference between Venezuela’s quick overthrow and Iran’s grinding war is striking. In Caracas, a single well-timed commando raid in the dead of night toppled a weak administration. By contrast, Iran’s government has weathered massive hits and is still standing, its response still escalating. There are reasons why Iran is not Venezuela. Militarily, Iran is vastly stronger. It possesses thousands of missiles of varying ranges and an enormous drone fleet, whereas Venezuela had virtually no strategic deterrent.

Geographically, Venezuela is a small country with open plains around the capital; Iran is the world’s 17th largest nation with rugged terrain and multiple layers of defense. Politically, Maduro’s government was already crumbling under domestic unrest and loss of army morale – Iran’s regime, in contrast, is tightly controlled by ideological forces (the IRGC) and has endured decades of foreign pressure without falling.Even the US forces and risks involved were radically different. The Venezuelan raid involved about 150 aircraft and a few thousand special forces. By comparison, the air war on Iran has involved dozens of US and Israeli jets (even B-2 bombers) backed by carrier task forces and NATO assets.

Iran’s missile and drone barrages

In response to the US-Israeli attacks, Tehran has thrown almost everything it has at its adversaries. Starting March 1, Iran launched repeated mass salvos of missiles and drones across the Gulf region and at Israel. On the first day alone Iran reported firing 137 ballistic missiles and 209 drones toward the UAE. Some of those struck Dubai and Abu Dhabi, sending plumes of smoke over landmarks like the Palm Jumeirah and Burj Al Arab.

In Israel, Iranian strikes wounded civilians in Beit Shemesh and other towns. Hezbollah in Lebanon even fired rockets toward northern Israel, saying it was avenging Tehran. Military analysts note that Iran’s recent strategy is exactly about saturation: using “large salvos of ballistic missiles and loitering munitions… alongside actions by Hezbollah and other militias… to stretch Israeli and US missile defences and impose costs region-wide”.Iran has a diverse missile force of its own design, from short-range rockets to medium-range Shahab and Fateh-class missiles and beyond. It also uses “loitering munitions” (suicide drones) in large numbers – chiefly the Shahed series. The Shahed-136, for example, is a small (~2–3 m) propeller-driven drone weighing about 200 kg, with a flying range of up to 2,000–2,500 km and a 40–60 kg warhead. (Variants may carry up to 90 kg). Iran’s stock of these drones is believed to be vastly larger than its stock of ballistic missiles. As one Bloomberg analyst notes, Iran’s emphasis on drones suggests it is consciously preserving its missiles for later phases: “Tehran has launched more than 1,200 projectiles, many of them Shahed drones… analysts say this could indicate that Iran is conserving its ballistic missiles for later stages”. In other words, Iran is playing an endurance game.

Cheap Iranian Drones vs Expensive Defences

What makes Iran’s strategy particularly frustrating for its foes is the cost imbalance between its cheap munitions and Western interceptors. Those Shahed drones and similar UAVs cost on the order of $20,000–$50,000 each. By contrast, every time an allied air-defence system shoots one down, it burns one of America’s or Israel’s multimillion-dollar interceptors. For instance, a Patriot missile interceptor costs roughly $4 million apiece. As analysts point out, this mismatch has turned the conflict into a war of attrition. “It costs five times more to intercept [an Iranian drone] than it does to produce it,” Bloomberg’s Kelly Grieco observes. In practical terms, that means the United States and its partners are bleeding through expensive missiles and rockets just to stop each cheap kamikaze drone.This imbalance is the core of Iran’s strategy. A drone that costs roughly $30,000 can force an interceptor worth millions into the sky. Each engagement drains the defenders’ stockpiles faster than Tehran’s factories.

US-Israeli arsenal and air defences

The US and Israel have countered with their best gear. American forces have deployed an unprecedented array of high-end weapons. US Central Command notes it is using “more than 20 different systems” in the campaign. That list includes B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning fighter jets, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, and MQ-9 Reaper attack drones. Naval forces launched Tomahawk cruise missiles from destroyers (USS Thomas Hudner, etc.) to strike fixed targets in Iran. They also fired Standard SM-2/SM-6 interceptor missiles from Aegis-equipped destroyers at incoming threats. Army units used HIMARS rocket systems to hit mobile launcher columns inside Iran. In short, every branch of the US military is engaged. Air crews fly continuous combat air patrols over the Middle East, and a US carrier strike group is in the region (the USS Gerald R. Ford and others) in support.

On the Israeli side, the toughest task has been air defence rather than offense. Israel is famed for its multi-tier missile shield. Short-range rockets and drones are handled by Iron Dome batteries; mid-range threats by David’s Sling; and high-altitude ballistic missiles by the Arrow system. This layered defence has mostly worked. Reuters reported on March 2 that “sirens sound across Israel as the country’s multi-layered missile defense system intercepts strikes from Iran,” noting that most incoming projectiles were shot down. Israeli leaders claim their defences have shot down nearly all barrages. Nonetheless, several missiles have slipped through – enough to cause casualties. In the two-week war of June 2025, at least one Iranian missile penetrated the Iron Dome and hit near Tel Aviv, killing over a dozen civilians. In the current war, media in Israel report about a dozen people killed so far and a hundred or more wounded, out of hundreds of rockets fired. By Israeli standards those losses are small, evidence of how robust the air-defence has been; but they also prove the shield is not impenetrable.

The US is also reinforcing Gulf allies with air-defence batteries. Saudi Arabia and the UAE field Patriot and THAAD batteries (some supplied by the US after the 2025 war) to guard their bases and oil facilities. Bahrain and Kuwait likewise rely on Patriots. These systems have so far knocked down a large fraction of Iranian missiles and drones aimed at them. Saudi air defences reported intercepting 2 ballistic missiles and 6 drones launched at its Al-Kharj base on March 6. Qatar’s leaders said they downed 9 of 10 incoming drones in another raid. But, as in Israel, some projectiles have evaded. Debris from intercepted drones has rained on Dubai and other cities, and at least one missile reached a fuel terminal in Oman, causing fires.

Straining the stockpiles: Who will run out first?

This contest is now largely one of inventories. Both sides are hoarding missiles and waiting to see whose “magazine” runs dry. The US insists that it has a near-unlimited stock of bombs and missiles, and that they will outlast Iran’s arsenal. President Trump has boasted that US forces can sustain the fight “as long as needed.” But officials quietly admit they are burning through ordnance at an extraordinary rate. As one Pentagon update reported by the Washington Post put it, in under a week of war the US has “rapidly [burned] through its stocks of precision weapons… expending sophisticated air-defense missiles at a rate that puts the US military potentially ‘days away’ from having to prioritize which targets to intercept”.

Thousands of Patriot, THAAD and ship-based Standard missiles have already been launched against Iranian drones and rockets, and each one takes months to replace. Adm. Brad Cooper of CENTCOM noted over 2,000 strikes on Iran so far; every bomb dropped and missile fired is one less in the depot.Iran’s side is also counting. The US believes Iran can sustain the current pace for only “several more days” before its supply of missiles starts to dwindle. Pentagon sources say US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran have already damaged launch sites and stockpiles, slowing down the rate of Iranian fire.

Indeed, some American analysts speculate that Tehran may begin to ration its missiles – firing fewer volleys to make its arsenal last. The war’s duration will hinge on such calculations: if Iran conserves missiles and cheap drones, it can prolong the conflict; if it keeps launching full salvos, it risks running out. As one Iran specialist cited by The Guardian said, if Iran ever runs out of missiles it might simply “have to sue for peace” and try to rebuild.So far, a tacit balance holds. For weeks US officials have insisted their own stockpiles will not run short before Iran’s do. But they are closely monitoring allies’ inventories too. Gulf countries report some shortages: in the previous clash US-supplied THAAD launchers had to use ~25% of their interceptors just defending Israel, raising concerns about resupply. Even Britain and others have been asked to send additional munitions. In Congress, lawmakers are debating whether to approve billions more for munitions aid to Ukraine and the Middle East. Every party now wonders: which side can afford to keep firing for longer?

Gulf States on the front line

Much of the current action has unfolded far from Iran’s borders – right in the Persian Gulf littoral. Countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain are hosting American bases and therefore have become targets. On multiple nights Sirens wailed across Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Doha as Iranian missiles arced overhead. In the UAE the authorities reported 60 fires in Dubai landmarks after Iranian drones were intercepted overhead.Ad-Dhafra air base (Abu Dhabi) briefly went on alert, and Riyadh activated its missile batteries as projectiles approached. Qatar’s government said on one occasion that 98 out of 101 incoming ballistic missiles aimed at its territory were shot down. Yet Qatar’s capital endured an attack on its LNG facilities that temporarily shut down exports.

Beyond the missiles, the threat to shipping is notable. Iran has warned it could close the Strait of Hormuz – a key oil chokepoint. Tankers are already diverting or waiting outside the Gulf to avoid attacks. The risk of hitting a civilian vessel is serious: on March 2 an Iranian missile struck a Maltese-flagged tanker in international waters near Iran, puncturing its hull. While no crew was hurt, shipping insurance spiked. Oil markets are jittery about even minor disruptions in the Gulf.Civilians have been inconvenienced. Airlines temporarily halted flights from Dubai and Doha during the biggest salvos. Tourists and residents spent nights in hotels or bunkers. Markets have been volatile on the slightest hint of escalation.

What’s next?

A week into the war, one lesson is already clear: Iran is not an easy target. The opening strikes killed commanders, destroyed bases and even eliminated the country’s supreme leader, yet the system they built remains intact and fighting back. Missiles are still being launched, drones are still buzzing across the Gulf, and American and Israeli interceptors are still racing skyward every night.Washington may still believe its arsenal, alliances and technology will ultimately prevail. Tehran is betting that patience, geography and sheer volume of cheap weapons can level that advantage.For now, neither side is close to backing down. And with every intercepted missile and every drone that slips through, the same question grows louder: not who can strike harder, but who can endure longer.