Iran's Missile Barrage: A Quest for Survival or Strategy Backfiring?

Iran has unleashed thousands of missiles and drones targeting Israel, US military bases, and energy facilities across the Middle East after the conflict escalated with the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The ongoing confrontation seeks to instill fear of a widening war.

The strategic aim, according to Ellie Geranmayeh from the European Council on Foreign Relations, is to pressure allies of the US to halt their military campaigns. Iran hopes the conflict's toll will tilt the US towards diplomatic negotiations. Meanwhile, US and Israeli airstrikes have severely impacted Iranian military and nuclear capabilities.

Hasan Alhasan of the International Institute for Strategic Studies suggests Iran's tactics are backfiring by aligning Gulf states more closely with the US. Iran's isolated missile operations, reportedly independent from central government control, further complicate the geopolitical landscape.