Rather than engaging in a direct conventional war, Iran has increasingly relied on a strategy of horizontal escalation, using missiles, drones, and allied armed groups to expand the battlefield across the Middle East while avoiding a full-scale air confrontation.

Iran has focused on targeting U.S. military installations in neighboring countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Iraq, seeking to increase military and political pressure without committing to a direct large-scale engagement.

At the same time, Tehran has coordinated with regional proxy forces, including the Houthis in Yemen, to intensify pressure in the Red Sea and threaten strategic maritime routes. Analysts say the approach is designed to prolong the conflict, raise operational costs for the United States and its allies, and stretch military resources across multiple fronts rather than a single battlefield.