Middle East war could be decided by who runs out of missiles or interceptors first, analysts say

Fire shoots into the air after the Fujairah oil facility in the UAE was reportedly hit by debris from an intercepted Iranian drone on Tuesday. Photograph: Altaf Qadri/AP

The outcome and duration of the war in the Middle East may be decided by a grim calculus based on the size of Iran’s drone and missile stocks v vital air defence munitions held by the US, Israel and Gulf states, analysts and officials say.

Since Saturday, Iran and its proxies have sought to counter the intensive joint US and Israeli offensive with more than 1,000 strikes against targets across almost a dozen countries spread over 1,200 miles. With its antiquated air force unable to compete with those of Israel and the US, Tehran has relied on its arsenal of missiles and drones.