The reported "depletion" of Iran’s conventional forces has been offset by an asymmetric strategy that prioritizes precision over raw power. Despite heavy sanctions and recent military setbacks, Iran has successfully targeted at least 16 U.S. installations across eight countries in the Middle East as of May 2026, causing damage that some officials describe as unprecedented. The primary driver of Iran's increased precision was the secret acquisition of the Chinese TE01B satellite in 2024. This provided Iran with high-resolution imagery nearly on par with U.S. capabilities, allowing them to identify specific high-value "bottleneck" targets rather than just hitting general base areas.

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