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A Battered Iran Is Still Able to Mount a Deadly Response to U.S. Strikes
(Wall Street Journal) Laurence Norman - The Iranian regime emerged from June's 12-day war with Israel with much of its arsenal of thousands of ballistic missiles intact, which gives it the ability to inflict real damage on the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East. Tehran has an estimated 2,000 midrange ballistic missiles that can reach Israel. It also has significant stockpiles of short-range missiles capable of reaching U.S. bases in the Gulf and ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also has significant stockpiles of antiship cruise missiles and torpedo boats, as well as many drones that can threaten U.S. ships. "Tehran may be weak, but its robust missile force means it is still lethal," said Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington. The U.S. has a range of assets it would need to defend in the Middle East. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday there were 30,000-40,000 U.S. troops stationed in eight or nine facilities in the region within reach of Iranian missiles and drones.