This is important to understand when trying to judge where the war balance sheet truly lies. It is like comparing oranges with lemons; they are essentially different in character.

The US and Israel are dropping a lot of stand-off munitions at Iran. But, to what point and to what effect? We don't know.

We do, however, know that Iran has its asymmetric war plan. And it is only just starting, incrementally moving towards full implementation. The full armoury of Iranian missiles has not yet been revealed – neither its latest missiles, nor its submersible drones and anti-ship-equipped missile speed boats that have yet to be deployed. So we do not know Iran's full potential – and we cannot say to what effect its full deployment might yet be. Hizbullah is now fully operational, and the Houthi's (seemingly) are waiting for the "green light" to gate Bab el-Mandeb in tandem to the Hormuz blockade.

The root to the move of this Iranian asymmetric paradigm arose in the wake of the US' utter destruction of Iraq's centralised military command in 2003 – the result of a three week massive air assault.

The issue for the Iranians that arose in the Iraq war's wake was how Iran might build a deterrent military structure when it did not have – and could not have – anything resembling a peer air capability. And when the US could also look down upon the extent of Iran military infrastructure from their high-resolution satellite cameras.

Well, the first answer simply was to have as little of the Iranian military structure out in the open to be observed from above – from space. Its components had to be buried, and buried deeply (beyond the reach of most bombs).

The second answer was that deeply buried missiles could indeed, in effect, become Iran's "air force" – i.e. they could become a substitute for a conventional air force. Iran thus has been constructing and stockpiling missiles for more than twenty years.

With Iran's intense research focus on missile technology, it reportedly manufactures some 10-12 models of cruise and ballistic missiles. Some are hypersonic; others can deliver an array of explosive sub-munitions that are steerable (to avoid defence interceptors).

The big missiles are launched from deep underground silos dispersed across Iran (which is the size of western Europe and is well endowed with mountain ranges and forests). Shore-to-ship missiles too, are honey-combed into Iran's coastal expanse.

The third response was to find a solution to the successful 2003 shock and awe decapitation of Sadam Hussein's military command.

In 2007, the Mosaic doctrine was introduced.