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For context on why ISR degradation matters strategically and what these losses mean for US targeting capacity over Iran’s 1.6 million km² (4/4) :
[🇮🇷-🇺🇸] | Why Are MALE Drones (MQ-9 & Hermes 900) the Achilles’ Heel of the American-Israeli Alliance?
Air superiority doesn’t mean a fighter jet takes off and strikes on demand. It relies on a persistent ISR chain: MALE drones, EO/IR sensors, SAR radar, ELINT, to build a dynamic target bank and locate mobile launchers before they relocate. Iran spans 1.6 million km². The Iranians don’t need to shoot down fighters to degrade this capability, they just need to blind the ISR chain. Every MQ-9 or Hermes 900 destroyed means one fewer sensor, less detection of mobile TELs, drone launchers, and firing positions. Add to this the destruction of an E-3G AWACS and damage to around ten KC-135 tankers, which limits operations out of Prince Sultan and forces greater reliance on Israeli bases. The continued degradation of ISR, combined with the destruction of key radars, allows Iran to launch larger-scale attacks and adopt SAMbush postures that contest airspace against adversary fighters. This forces the coalition into heavy reliance on standoff munitions, Tomahawks and JASSM-ERs, available in limited quantities and ineffective against mobile targets without responsive ISR. The accumulation of these factors raises a simple question: what is the point of claiming air superiority if it fails to significantly degrade Iran’s strike capabilities?
ISR: Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance. Refers to the full range of real-time intelligence collection and analysis assets: sensors mounted on drones or aircraft, imagery, and electronic surveillance.
ELINT: Electronic Intelligence. Refers to intelligence gathered from non-communications electronic emissions, primarily radar signals, used to identify, locate, and characterize enemy air defense systems and other emitters.
Visual confirmation of 🇺🇸/🇮🇱 MALE drone losses since February 28.👇
MedUse retweeted
Plus un jour sans crimes de guerre israéliens… plus d'un millier de résolutions de l'ONU violées…
Israël se torche avec le droit international mais l'Europe continue sa coopération.
Comment ces décideurs peuvent-ils encore être crédibles ?
I need to take a break for a few days (potentially 1 week) for personal reasons. Take care of yourself.
MedUse retweeted
1 of at least 3 (!!) Hermes450 UAVs currently over #Beirut
-Achrafieh-Badaro-Mathaf (video/images with 2 different size pods installed)
-West Beirut Mazraa-MarElias-Sanayeh
-Aramoun-Choueifat
I don't want to be pessimistic but I have a hard time believing that Trump and especially Netanyahu accepted the 10 points of the ceasefire agreement.
🇺🇸/🇮🇱 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝘂𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗲𝗯 𝟮𝟴 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗽𝗿 𝟱 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 🧵(1/4)
38 independently verified visual confirmations
🇮🇱 Israel : 20 · 🇺🇸 USA : 15 · 🇦🇪/🇸🇦 UAE/KSA : 2 · ❓
◽️ Unknown : 1
◽️Hermes 900 : 9
◽️ Heron/Eitan/TP : 8
◽️MQ-9 Reaper : 15
◽️Orbiter : 3
◽️Wing Loong 2 : 1
◽️RQ-21A : 1
Apr. 1: 16 MQ-9 lost (CBS News)
Adding my 6 visual confirmations post-Mar.19 to the Mar.19 US figure already yields 18 exceeding the Apr.1 US declaration of 16.
🇮🇷|𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟴 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟯𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
32 independently verified visual confirmations
Israel : 19
USA : 12
Unknown : 1
Hermes 900 : 9
Heron/Eitan : 8
MQ-9 Reaper : 12
Orbiter 4 : 1
RQ-21A : 1
Captured intact : Hermes 900 n°923
Per US officials cited by Bloomberg (Mar. 19), 9 MQ-9 Reapers were shot down by Iran out of 12 total lost in the conflict. The IRGC claims approximately 20 MQ-9s destroyed — figure not independently confirmed. The 32 entries in this thread represent the visual confirmations I was able to document to date.
Thanks to @noctu_mind for the images.
Thanks to @hmdmosavi for the identification of the A-10 and to @noctu_mind for a large part of the identifications.
MedUse retweeted
🤔
Dans la situation actuelle, l’Iran n’a pas d’intérêt d’accepter de négocier. De ce fait, nous assisterons sans doute à un nouveau round d’escalade avant une nouvelle tentative américaine de négocier. En attendant, les deux parties ont des exigences qui ne permettent pas de compromis.
Per a report from the Wall Street Journal, Iran has responded to the Trump administration’s proposal for a ceasefire with demands that far surpass the characterization of maximalist. Iran has demanded the closure of all U.S. bases in the Gulf region, a new Strait of Hormuz framework, that would allow Iran to charge fees for vessels that transit, the end of all sanctions on Iran, an end to Israeli operations against Lebanese Hezbollah, and no discussion on Iran’s ballistic missile program. Such demands have been called ridiculous and unrealistic by U.S. officials.
MedUse retweeted
Spotted today in a tanker story in southern Lebanon.
The tracks, road wheels, and central side skirts have been hit, severely damaging and immobilizing the Merkava.
[🇱🇧-🇮🇱]
Interesting image showing a poster of the Virgin Mary with the phrase written in Arabic: “Peace be upon you, O Virgin Mary,” alongside photos of Hassan Nasrallah, former Secretary-General of Lebanese Hezbollah, and Naim Qassem, his successor.
[🇱🇧-🇮🇱]
Image intéressante montrant un poster de la Vierge Marie avec la phrase écrite en arabe : « Que le salut soit sur toi, ô Vierge Marie », accompagné des photos de Hassan Nasrallah, ancien secrétaire général du Hezbollah libanais, et de Naim Qassem, son successeur.
[🇮🇱-🇱🇧]
The military media of Hezbollah published a video of the operation targeting the Stella Maris base of the Israeli enemy army in the occupied city of Haifa with a salvo of specialized missiles.
The missile used is the Fath-360 (BM-120), a short-range solid-fuel ballistic missile with a range of 120 km and a 150 kg high-explosive warhead.
