You mistake US power on paper with its power in reality. I've already linked articles showing how US is pushing its missile power to the limit in Iran, and that goes for the Navy as well with deploying the third US aircraft carrier out of four operational ones. The US is not holding back its air or naval power and that 11000 hits statistic shows it.
The only thing it hasn't mobilized enough of is ground troops, but that is not gonna happen. America does not have the free logistical capacity to invade and occupy Iran without abandoning Europe and East Asia.
This is the limit of America's fighting power in the Middle East in 2026, unlike in 2003 where China and Russia were not much of a threat.
Iran's defense is so bad that the USA lost 12 aircrafts from April 3 to April 5 in Iran:
1 F15, 1 A10, 4 MH6 helicopters, 2 C130, multiple MQ9 Reapers. The total cost of these aircraft is more than half a billion dollars. And these were US special forces using better stealth, training and tactics than any other Arab country in the region.
Its clear that the Iranian inner defenses have not been suppressed like what the DoD or Trump claim.
Besides that, the Gulf states are very fragile. We're in week 6 where they get bombed daily and do nothing despite desalination and petrochemicals being hit which surprised even me.
Their only red line is internal unrest that may lead to their governments being threatened, otherwise they will do nothing unless the US tells them.
Sigh
I think you are grossly underestimating US capabilities based on one or two articles.
Let me give you in detail what USA has, (even this is what we actually know - not counting what's classified), what Iran is left with and why Gulf is not going on offense
US Global Logistics
It has the largest military logistics network in the world easily built for months long, if not year, sustained global operations.
It operates hundreds of overseas bases, possesses unmatched global airlift capability through aircraft like the C-17 and C-5
Even when compared collectively, countries like China and Russia do not match this level of long-range power projection.
You argument that the US cannot sustain operations in Iran without abandoning Europe or East Asia is a clear exaggeration and mixing strategic restraint and operations across multiple theatres with limited capacity.
Naval fleet
US naval strength is far greater than what is currently deployed in any single region.
It has 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, and not four along with more than 9 amphibious assault ships that function as mini-carriers carrying F-35B jets.
It has 90 destroyers and cruisers equipped with advanced missile systems like Aegis and Tomahawk, and more than 60 nuclear submarines.
Your argument that deploying 3 or 4 carriers means the US is at its limit misunderstands naval strategy.
With 11 carriers in total, only a portion are deployed at any given time while others undergo maintenance or training cycles and US keep them spread across regions for strategic reasons.
Air fleet
The US Air Force maintains thousands of aircraft globally, while only a fraction are deployed in active combat zones. Estimate suggests that US deployed only around 30% of it's air fleet in Iran.
Has 180 F-22 stealth fighters, more than 300 F-35 variants, 200+ F-15s, and hundreds of F-16s.
In addition, it operates a powerful bomber fleet including the B-52, B-1B, and the stealth B-2 Spirit, along with numerous electronic warfare and support aircraft.
This means current deployments represent only a portion of total air capability.
The US deliberately keeps significant reserves to manage multiple global theaters simultaneously.
Claims that the US lost multiple high value aircrafts haven't been verified. Iran media also claimed they struck down US aircraft in Qatar and later it turned out to be a friendly fire case.
Without credible confirmation from other agencies these claims are highly doubtful. And, even if true then its a very small fraction of what US has and a small dent in terms of financial costs to an economy like US.
Aerial Refueling and Operational Reach
With hundreds of tanker aircraft like the KC-135 and KC-46, US fighters and bombers can operate thousands of kilometers away from their bases. This allows the US to rapidly scale air operations without needing additional regional bases.
Missile stockpiles
Missile inventory numbers are classified or only roughly estimated, so specific claims like “850 Tomahawks used” are not verifiable and are often speculative.
Now, let me give you estimated numbers.
Estimates suggest the US possesses around 3,500 to 5,000+ Tomahawk missiles, with production continuing.
More importantly, Tomahawks are just one part of a much larger strike arsenal. The US also fields air-launched cruise missiles like JASSM and JASSM-ER, which are stealthy and have ranges of up to 900+ km.
These can easily replace Tomahawk roles in many scenarios.
Carrier-based aircraft use precision bombs such as JDAM and Paveway, as well as anti-radar missiles like HARM, which are in far greater quantities than cruise missiles.
Naval forces also deploy systems like the SM-6 and Naval Strike Missile (NSM).
US also possesses strategic and ballistic weapons that are rarely used in conventional conflicts but remain available for escalation which US hasn't done yet.
Industrial Capacity
US is war economy and it hasn't switched to this aspect yet.
It has the world’s largest defense industrial base. Companies like Raytheon Technologies continue to scale production and build stockpiles at fast pace.
In long term conflicts, production capability and economic strength / stability matters more than initial stockpile numbers and financial losses of few billion dollars. And, US is unmatched here.
Financial Losses
It's a war so financial losses are bound to happen and even though numbers sound dramatic but are not meaningful indicators of military weakness.
The US defense budget exceeds $800 billion annually and can touch a trillion dollar this year.
Massive number of strikes
US has hit 11000 strikes so far. It doesn't indicate US is reaching its limits. In fact, they demonstrate the ability to sustain such operations over time. US has achieved something similar in Iraq as well in few weeks time.
What is being observed is likely a controlled level of escalation rather than maximum capacity.
Ground Forces deployment
It is true that the US has not deployed large ground forces but once again this is a deliberate strategic choice rather than a limitation.
Large scale occupations like Iraq and Afghanistan have proven politically costly and strategically inefficient.
The US has shifted toward “over-the-horizon warfare,” relying on airstrikes, drones, special forces, and allied support.
Avoiding invasion reflects a change in doctrine, not a lack of capabilities or Iran is being a deterrent.
Gulf States
The restrained response of Gulf countries does not indicate weakness. This is once again a misconception.
These states rely heavily on US security guarantees which means it's US who hasn't advised Gulf so far to go on offense. It's not needed as of now.
Gulf countries also don't want to go on offense in a war where they can been seen as an ally to Israel and against an Arab nation - it would be religious - political disaster.
Then, they are fuel economies. They want to ensure continuous supplies of fuels. Going on offense also risks these assets being targeted more frequently and deliberately.
People really should stop seeing strategic restraints as weakness.
Iran’s Air Defenses as of now
After nearly 11000 of strikes it is unrealistic to assume Iran’s air defense network remains fully intact or effective or its missiles stock piles are left intact in sufficient numbers.
Iran also doesn't have production capacity anywhere near what US and Israel have.
Obviously, it's air defence is still operational but air campaigns are designed to degrade, fragment, and disrupt air defense systems over time, not necessarily eliminate them completely.
That's why radar sites, command-and-control centers, airbases are targetted forcing systems to shut down or relocate.
Suppressing enemy air defenses does not always mean completely eliminating them.
US does not need to fully destroy Iran’s defenses to achieve its objectives, it can operate around them efficiently.
The fact that Iranian defenses can still hit sometimes does not mean they are strong but means they are operating in an opportunistic manner.
Now, we have seen successful US Search and Rescue Operation
When a US F-15E was shot down the pilot was rescued quickly. The second crew member survived 48 hours deep inside Iran before extraction before US rescued him.
100+ aircraft and hundreds of personnel special operations forces operated in hostile territory and US forces entered, operated, and exited Iranian airspace
You know what it shows?
It shows the US can penetrate Iranian airspace at will, coordinate large, complex operations deep inside enemy territory
maintain air superiority long enough to extract personnel and Iranian forces were unable to stop the rescue despite being fully alert in advance that such operations would happen.
US is not paper tiger. Don't confuse it's strategic restraints and intent to not escalate war beyond what US seeks as lack of capacities or Iran is pushing US back. There's a reason why US alone is a deterrent for Russia and China even now.
