Iran's leadership has shown signs of resilience in the face of punishing airstrikes by the US and Israel, with senior figures posting defiant messages and the military continuing to hit high-value targets.
Despite the heavy pressure, there are no signs of serious cracks or institutional breakdown in Tehran, with the regime's goal appearing to be to hang on as the consequences of the war accumulate.
The Iranian military has been firing an average of 45 missiles per day towards its Persian Gulf neighbors and Israel, down from 420 on the second day of the war, but still causing significant disruption to global trade and travel.
The intensity and pattern of the Iranian strikes indicate a clear strategy and coordination behind the attacks, with analysts and Arab officials saying that Iranian forces have consistently targeted US diplomatic and military sites, as well as energy and transportation infrastructure.
The joint US-Israeli war strategy is based on the assumption that by decapitating Iran's political and military leadership, and destroying the physical infrastructure that surrounds them, the regime will be forced into collapse or surrender.
However, Iran's state apparatus was built to outlive individual leaders, thanks to layered and overlapping centers of political and military power, and the regime's leaders have been able to withstand the overwhelming military pressure.
