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Iran war exposes the limits of US military mass

1st September 2026 - 14:11 GMT | by Edward Hunt in London, UK

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US Navy Super Hornets are one of many assets operational in the Gulf. (Photo: USAF)

As the Straits of Hormuz continue to witness military action of various types, what does this mean for combat air and air defence planners in the region and beyond?

Another round of reciprocated strikes across the Gulf region has put paid to claims that a lasting resolution is near. Indeed, the range of Iranian attacks has increased again and since late July has begun to involve Jordan, Iraq and Syria. These have been concurrent with those on targets closer to Iran across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.

Leaving aside the geopolitical element and the economic issue of trade and tolls, what this action did suggest was that Iran’s inventory of weapons remains sufficient to increase the number of targets without – by Tehran’s calculations – significantly diminishing an

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Edward Hunt

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Edward Hunt


Edward has worked in the aerospace and defence Industry since 2005, initially for Jane’s and then …

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