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Inside Iran’s military: missiles, militias and a force built for survival
Iran’s military is not designed to win a conventional war against the United States or Israel. It is designed to survive one, absorb damage and continue fighting over time, experts say.
That strategy is reflected both in how the force is built and how it is performing now, after weeks of sustained U.S. and Israeli strikes.
The scale of the campaign has been significant. More than 9,000 targets have been struck since the launch of Operation Epic Fury, according to a March 23, 2026, fact sheet from U.S. Central Command, alongside more than 9,000 combat flights, hitting missile sites, air defenses, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command centers and weapons production facilities.
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U.S. officials say the objective is clear.
“We are targeting and eliminating Iran’s ballistic missile systems … destroying the Iranian Navy … and ensuring Iran cannot rapidly rebuild,” Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said during a March Pentagon briefing.
But analysts caution that the picture is more complex.
“It’s a mixed bag,” Nicholas Carl, a fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute think tank and assistant director of the Critical Threats Project, told Fox News Digital. “On one hand, (Iran’s military) is badly degraded across the board, but the regime still retains a significant amount of capability.”
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At the heart of Iran’s military system is a deliberate dual structure: the conventional army, known as the Artesh, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a parallel force created after the 1979 revolution to safeguard the regime.
According to Carl, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has shaped the armed forces throughout decades around one central objective: preserving the Islamic Republic and exporting its revolutionary ideology.
“You need to separate between the IRGC and the regular army,” Middle East intelligence expert Danny Citrinowicz told Fox News Digital. “The IRGC gets all of the budgets — better salaries, better equipment, better everything.”
Carl describes the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a “deeply ideological praetorian guard,” while the Artesh remains a more conventional force tasked with defending Iran’s borders.
But the distinction is not absolute.
“The IRGC is probably the more dangerous of the two, but we cannot discount the threat that the regular military poses as well,” Carl said.
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Iran’s missile program remains the backbone of its military power, even after extensive strikes.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force has spent years building what Carl describes as the largest missile inventory in the Middle East.
U.S. officials say those capabilities have been significantly reduced with recent strikes.
“Iran’s ballistic missile shots fired are down 86% from the first day of fighting,” Caine said in a Pentagon briefing earlier in March, adding that drone launches have dropped by roughly 73%.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in the same briefing that the campaign has sharply limited Iran’s ability to sustain attacks.
“The enemy can no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did, not even close,” he said.
But even U.S. officials acknowledge the threat persists.
“Iran will still be able to shoot some missiles … and launch one-way attack drones,” Hegseth said.
Carl said the decline in fire has plateaued.
“Iranian missile and drone fire has dropped precipitously … about 90% since the war began… but that number has been consistent for weeks,” he said. “That means they still retain enough capability to sustain strikes across the region.”
Citrinowicz offered a similar assessment.
“They suffered blows, but still hold the ability and still have the capacity to launch missiles for weeks to come,” he said.
U.S. estimates cited by Carl suggest roughly a third of Iran’s missile capabilities remain active.
“The regime still does have a significant capability to threaten targets across the region … especially as it demonstrates the ability to shoot beyond 2,000 kilometers,” Carl said.
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The Pentagon says it has made major gains against Iran’s naval forces.
More than 140 Iranian vessels have been damaged or destroyed, according to U.S. Central Command.
Caine said U.S. forces have “effectively neutralized” Iran’s major naval presence in the region.
But analysts warn that Iran’s naval threat was never dependent on large ships.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy is built around “area denial capabilities,” including fast attack craft, mines, missiles and drones designed to swarm adversaries and disrupt maritime movement.
“They still have the capacity — speedboats, drones, surface-to-sea missiles — allowing them to block the Strait of Hormuz,” Citrinowicz said.
Carl cautioned against a common misconception.
“It’s not technically accurate to say the Strait of Hormuz is closed … Iran is selectively denying access … firing at some ships while allowing others to pass,” he said.
“Iran has to do very, very little to achieve a meaningful effect.”
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U.S. officials say the campaign has achieved major progress in the air.
“We will have complete control of Iranian skies, uncontested airspace,” Hegseth said.
Caine added that U.S. forces have already established “localized air superiority” and are expanding operations deeper into Iranian territory.
But Iran’s air force was never the centerpiece of its strategy. Years of sanctions have left it reliant on aging aircraft and limited modernization, making it far less capable than its Western or regional adversaries.
“There is definitely a setback … but Iran was never built on an air force,” Citrinowicz said.
Instead, Iran relies on missiles, drones and layered defenses.
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On the ground, Iran retains a key advantage: its forces have largely not been directly engaged.
The Artesh ground forces, which include tens of brigades, are positioned primarily to defend Iran’s borders, according to Carl’s report.
“The ground troops are still intact, nobody has invaded Iran,” Citrinowicz said.
He noted that ground forces are increasingly launching drones, signaling a broader shift in how Iran fights.
Beyond its borders, Iran’s military power is extended through a network of proxy forces managed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force.
Carl said the Quds Force provides “leadership, materiel, intelligence, training and funds” to allied militias across the Middle East, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.
“The ‘Axis of Resistance’ is the central mechanism by which Iran can further regionalize the conflict … to endanger as many actors’ interests as possible,” Carl said.
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Iran’s military is also structured to confront internal threats, reinforcing its core purpose: regime survival.
The result is a force built on redundancy, asymmetry and endurance.
Even after weeks of sustained strikes, Iran retains enough capability to continue launching missiles, harassing global shipping and leveraging proxy forces across the region.
It may be weakened, but it remains strategically dangerous.
“We cannot discount the threat that the Iranian military poses,” Carl said, “it remains a force capable of threatening regional and international security.”
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Archaeologists unearth 1,600-year-old Christian monastic site with paintings, mysterious inscription
Egyptian archaeologists recently unearthed the remnants of a Christian monastic site from the 5th century — some 400 years after the time of Jesus Christ.
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities wrote in a translated statement on March 23 that a building was recently found in the Qallaya area in Egypt’s Beheira Governorate.
The structure, likely a guesthouse used to host visitors, is a remnant of the “early beginnings of Coptic monasticism,” the release said.
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Previous buildings have also been found at the site, and the newly discovered structure had 13 multipurpose rooms used for “hospitality and teaching … in addition to service facilities such as a kitchen and storage areas,” officials said.
The area is considered one of Egypt’s significant early monastic centers.
Coptic monasticism was one of the oldest forms of organized Christian monasticism, laying the groundwork for traditions that endure to this day.
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Pictures from the site show ancient structures in remarkable condition, with walls and other architectural features still intact.
The tourism ministry also shared photographs of art recently found at the site, including paintings, as well as an inscription in early Greek.
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Officials believe the Greek inscription may read “Abba Kir, son of Shenouda” — suggesting it was a tombstone.
“Excavations also revealed several architectural elements added to the building during later historical phases, reflecting the evolution of its use over successive periods,” the statement said.
In addition to the paintings, officials also noted that a “complete marble column” was found, along with “a large number of pottery shards.”
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“Some of these bear plant and geometric decorations, while others include Coptic letters. … Some are undecorated,” the statement said.
Hisham El-Leithy, Ph.D., secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the decorations and wall paintings are “among the most significant sources for studying early Coptic art in Egypt,” per the translated release.
The discovery also highlights “the development of ascetic, simple monastic architecture, showing a functional progression from individual cells to semi-communal housing,” the statement added.
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Archaeologists also found bird and animal bones, as well as “several oyster shells,” inside one of the rooms — all pointing to everyday dietary practices.
Excavations in Egypt continue to yield many fascinating remnants of ancient Christianity — and the Qallaya discovery is one of many recent finds.
In January, archaeologists unearthed another ancient Christian monastic complex in the village of Al-Duwair, located in the Sohag Governorate.
At Kharga Oasis, excavators found two 1,500-year-old churches and an ancient mural of Jesus.
Orlando Bloom is saying goodbye to Malibu.
The “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor listed his mansion overlooking the ocean for $12 million earlier this month with celebrity realtor Chris Cortazzo.
Bloom, 49, purchased the property on the far east end of town near El Matador Beach in 2011 for $2.5 million.
Cortazzo told Fox News Digital that the market for homes in Malibu has “picked up, and we’re in full swing.”
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“Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a strong surge in buyer activity, driven by the quality of opportunities available right now,” Cortazzo said.
“Buyers are stepping in with confidence and taking advantage of pricing that, in many cases, hasn’t been available in recent years.”
Situated a handful of miles away from the center of the city, the four-bedroom, five-bath mansion boasts a “resort-like atmosphere” with exceptional privacy and expansive ocean views, according to the listing.
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An open-plan layout invites easy indoor-outdoor living and entertaining throughout the home, which boasts mountain and ocean views.
Off the foyer, the main living area is accentuated with high, beamed ceilings and wood and tile accents, in addition to a built-in sound system.
The expansive kitchen offers ocean views with top-quality appliances and ample counter and cabinet space for the most demanding chef.
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A butcher-block island provides bar seating, and design accents include stone countertops, floating cabinets and jade-green tile, with a butler’s pantry offering an additional sink.
The main level of the home is complete with a gym, powder room, and a laundry room.
One stairway leads to a spacious sleeping loft, while another set of stairs leads to three additional bedrooms, including dual primary suites with ocean views.
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Each primary suite includes sliding glass doors to a wraparound, full-width view deck, luxurious closets, and large tiled bathrooms.
The backyard provides ample space for lounging, dining, and entertaining, including a covered deck with a dining table and lounging area, a fire feature, an ocean-view pool and spa, a wet bar, a hot tub, a half-bathroom, and a barrel sauna and tub.
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After renting out the property for the last year, Bloom told The Wall Street Journal that it “felt like it might be the right time to let it go.”
Bloom told the outlet he did an extensive renovation that cost more than twice what he originally paid for the house. When he first purchased the home, the ground floor was “a bit higgledy, piggledy,” Bloom said, so he blew it out and turned it into an open floor plan.
The property also has a garage, where Bloom kept his motorcycle collection.
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“Right out the door, you’ve got the most amazing drives through the Malibu canyons,” he said.
The “Lord of the Rings” star was first drawn to the half-acre property for its privacy and beach access.
He also said his son Flynn with ex Miranda Kerr spent much of his early life in Malibu.
Bloom dated Katy Perry for nearly 10 years, separating briefly in 2017 and reuniting in early 2018. He proposed on Valentine’s Day in 2019, and the couple welcomed their daughter Daisy Dove in 2020.
Five years later, Bloom and Perry announced their split in July 2025.
In 1964, famed British sci-fi writer Arthur Clarke said that computers had the electronic brain of “completely morons” but in another generation will eventually “completely outthink their makers.”
That prediction — or warning, depending on how you view artificial intelligence — is how Focus Features begins its new film “The AI Doc: or How I Became an Apocaloptimist.”
Our guide navigating the chaotic AI world we find ourselves in is the film’s co-director, Daniel Roher, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “Navalny.” With a baby on the way. Roher attempts to seek answers whether his children will thrive or suffer as AI continues to develop at miraculous speed.
“The AI Doc” is essentially a crash course on the subject split into three parts. First we hear from the alarmists who predict the end of days. Then we hear from the optimists who believe the emerging technology will solve all the world’s problems. And finally in the third act, we hear from tech giants spearheading the AI race — at least the ones willing to participate.
One of the most jarring illustrations of how divergent the views of the alarmists and the optimists are is when Roher asks them whether people should be having children.
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Roher speaks with dozens of AI experts with varying thoughts. The three who best articulate the complex nature of the AI times we live in are author/professor Yuval Noah Harari as well as Center for Humane Technology co-founders Aza Raskin and Tristin Harris, the latter known for his appearance in the 2020 Netflix documentary “The Social Dilemma.” As Harris explains to Roher, it’s impossible to separate the promises and the peril of AI.
The documentary tackles all the hot topics in AI from data centers to deep fakes and the international race to the top (or bottom, frankly) of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). Roher sits down with three of the five CEOs pioneering AI in the US: Open AI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Google Deepmind co-founder Demis Hassabis (xAI CEO Elon Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg passed on the interview requests).
I personally don’t absolutely dread AI as a whole. I use it for work and I can see it helping society in the future, but I can’t help but keep looking over my shoulder amid the possibility it will someday take my job (fingers crossed that AI can’t craft personable, witty movie reviews as well as me at least a bit longer).
Roher is a perfect vessel that captures the utter exhaustion and anxiety the general public feels about AI. But this documentary by him and co-director Charlie Tyrell isn’t meant to solve all the questions we have — that’s because no one really has the answers on where AI will go, not even the AI titans that speak with Roher know.
Throwing his weight as a producer is the Oscar-winning director of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Daniel Kwan. Also deserving of the nod is art director Benjamin Fieschi-Rose, who enhances the film with fun, quirky stop-motion animation.
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“The AI Doc” is a timely, thought-provoking reality check on a technology dominating the world. Roher’s personal journey elevates what would otherwise be a solid educational video perfect for a science class. We often watch movies for an escape from everyday life — this documentary brutally does the opposite like it’s meant to.
“The AI Doc: or How I Became an Apocaloptimist” is rated PG-13 for language. Running time: 1 hr, 43 min. In select theaters now.
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