Iran’s Anti-Access and Area Denial Strategy Is Cruder Than China’s But Still Dangerous

Iran has developed a formidable anti-access and area denial strategy by adapting China's high-end model to create a dangerous, multi-layered defense with its own resources. This approach relies on a vast and survivable arsenal of mobile ballistic and cruise missiles, projected through proxies like the Houthis, to control critical maritime chokepoints. The strategy's effectiveness lies in creating an asymmetric advantage, forcing adversaries to deplete expensive interceptors against swarms of low-cost drones and missiles. This missile-centric warfare challenges conventional military doctrine, as achieving air superiority is not enough to neutralize the dispersed and hidden ground-based