Iran has rapidly adapted its missile and drone tactics during the recent US aggression, increasingly challenging US air defenses across West Asia as Washington’s stockpile of Patriot interceptors comes under growing pressure, The New York Times reported.

Axar.az informs, citing Press TV, that during five days of intense attacks last month, Iran launched waves of drones and missiles against US forces at three bases in Jordan. The attacks were designed to overwhelm American air defenses, including by using missiles capable of changing course unexpectedly.

On July 17, an Iranian missile penetrated those defenses and struck prefabricated housing units at a US base, killing three American soldiers and injuring more than 100 others. Pentagon officials also acknowledged that additional troops were wounded and several aircraft were damaged during attacks in Jordan that week.

“We shot down almost all the missiles,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed after the deadly strike. “One leaked through.”

The attacks have highlighted two major developments in the US aggression: Iran’s growing ability to adapt its tactics and exploit weaknesses in US air defenses, and the rapid depletion of American interceptor missiles.

Citing two people briefed on US stockpile levels, The New York Times said that the Pentagon has used more than 1,500 Patriot interceptors during the war and has fewer than 1,700 remaining. The United States produced roughly 600 Patriot interceptors throughout 2025.

On one day during the deadly week in Jordan, US forces fired about 50 Patriot interceptors, each costing approximately $4 million, according to U.S. officials.