Take a moment to digest the following, quite extraordinary sequence of events.

Earlier this month, U.S. officials leaked to the Washington Post that Russia had been giving Iran target data to strike U.S. military assets in the Persian Gulf. At the time, these attacks had killed seven American service members and wounded more than 150. They also damaged a $1.1 billion radar that’s among just six of its kind in the world. A subsequent CNN report said Russia was also helping Iran with drone tactics learned from fighting Ukraine.

The Iranian barrage consisted mainly of roughly $40,000 Shahed attack drones, some of which U.S. Gulf allies had to shoot down with PAC3 Patriot air defense missiles that cost $3 million to $4 million apiece. They have burned through about 800 of these high-end interceptors.

© The Japan Times