It just shows how Important air power is, a decent airforce may have even detered US, Israel, if not their losses would have been huge. Taking out those air tankers and AWACS would have also messed up sorty rates and their ability to make long range attacks. Those big bombers would have stayed put.
What confuses me is Iran invested so much on domestic airdefences and radar systems, both have been largely ineffective. What gave them confidence in these systems to stay on this route or was it because Russia/China not offering any? Iran should have procured should launched mobile a2a missilesto use asymmetrically knowing it will be a long war where they need to hunker down.
The Navy, kilo subs, ships seem to be either at dock or far away isolated, no strategy or urgency to use these. Wouldn't it have been better for them to operate together out in the Arabian sea knowing an attack is Imminent or they thought lets not lose men worthlessly?
Whats the strategy with use of antiship missiles, looks like coastal use to disrupt shipping in hormuz and keep large US ships far way.
We can see most of the focus went on missile forces and drones, irans strongest offensive ability and to make it survive with underground missle cities and silos.
I wonder how much they prepared for guerilla style warfare but with anti aircraft, anti tank, ship mobile missiles.
