Iran’s armed forces have shifted their military approach as the joint operation by the US and Israel continues.

Tehran appears to have recognized it cannot match the firepower of US and Israel in a direct confrontation. Analysts say that simply enduring large-scale strikes allows Iranian authorities to portray survival as a form of victory, The Caspian Post reports via foreign media.

Experts believe Iranian forces are now focusing on more vulnerable elements of US regional defenses, including missile interceptors and air defense systems protecting American military bases.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, said Iran’s battlefield tactics have evolved. He noted that no plan survives the first contact with the enemy.

He said that the number of Iranian missile strikes has dropped by about 90%, while the launch of one-way attack drones has decreased by 83%.

Officials at the US Department of Defense say Iran still retains roughly half of its missile stockpile and launchers, while the US does not have full intelligence on all of Tehran’s positions.

Military analysts also suggest that Iran may be holding part of its arsenal in reserve for strikes against high-value targets, including American radar installations, adding that Tehran “is not behaving like a regime that has lost its leadership.”