But while the US military is one of the world’s most powerful, Tehran also boasts a terrifying army – and the US should be scared. Iran’s military strength is the second-strongest in the Middle East, a major cause of concern after the shooting down of a US drone this week. Iran and the US look closer to war than ever after Tehran shoot down an unmanned US Navy RQ-4A Global Hawk drone on Thursday. While the US remains the country detaining the world’s most powerful military strength, Iran can still represent a threat, boasting one of the most powerful militaries in the world, according to an analysis carried out by warfare experts.
Global Fire Power (GFP) reviewed Iran’s military strength this year and ranked it 14 out of the 137 nations analysed so far.
The website assesses the military strength of countries using a thorough in-house generated formula, called PowerIndex score (PwrIndx).
According to the analysis carried out by GFP, Iran’s strength doesn’t come only from vessels, tanks and infrastructures but also from its oil.
Tehran’s manpower is dwarfed by America’s, as well as its aircraft strength and the number of tanks.
However, Iran still has a manpower of 47,324,105 people against 144,872,845 people available to the Pentagon.
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But in certain areas, such as the naval assets, Iran almost equals the numbers available to the US.
However, the Pentagon can boast newer technology and nuclear-powered vessels than Iran.
Iran has a naval asset counting 398 ships, a handful fewer than the US Army, which counts a total of 415 military ships.
Among the vessels available to Tehran, there are six frigates, 34 submarines three corvettes, 88 patrol vessels and three mine warfare.
The US, on the other hands, can count 24 Aircraft carriers, 22 frigates, 68 destroyers, 15 corvettes, 68 submarines, 13 patrol vessels and 11 mine warfare.
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But Iran’s strength isn’t based only on its armaments but also on its oil, branded by GFP the “lifeblood of war”.
The warfare experts established Iran produces 4,469,000 barrels of oil per day (bbl/dy) against Washington’s 9,352,000.
Iran consumes 1,870,000 bbl/dy against the US’ 19,000,000, and has proven reserves amounting to 158,400,000,000 bbl, while Washington only has 36,520,000,000.
Hostilities between the Islamic Republic and the US have been ratcheting up since last year, when the US President pulled out of the JCPOA, also known as Iran nuclear deal.
The attack to the drone, which almost brought Donald Trump to decide to retaliate, is believed to be just the first one of a long series by a foreign policy expert who argued Tehran has moved from threats to action.
The deputy director of foreign policy at Washington-based think tank Brookings Institution, Suzanne Maloney, told Sky News: “Iran, having failed to really resolve the economic pressure, has every incentive to up the ante.
“So I think we’re likely to see more attacks.
“They’ll be calculated, they’ll be measured and deliberately intended to avoid the red line that the President has set about American casualties.
“But it is going to continue to impact the regional climate and the regional economy quite severely.”
Mr Austin ominously pointed out that “even small-scale attacks continuing could lead to a miscalculation where things get out of hand”.