US fired more THAAD and naval missile interceptors to defend Israel than Israel used

Pentagon Concedes That US Provided Most Of Israel's Missile Defense During Iran War Via The Libertarian Institute The US fired hundreds of its most advanced interceptors to protect Israel from Iranian missiles during the first five weeks of the war.  According to a Department of War assessment described to The Washington Post, the US used 200 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors and over 100 SM-3 and SM-6 missiles in defense of Israel. Image source: DoD/Department of War In comparison, Israel only used 100 Arrow interceptors and 90 David’s Sling missiles.  Speaking about the imbalance, an administration official told The Post, "In total, the U.S. shot around 120 more interceptors and engaged twice as many Iranian missiles." The official added that "The imbalance will likely be exacerbated if fighting restarts." The imbalance occurs because Washington and Tel Aviv developed a strategy for the defense of Israel, where the US advanced interceptors handled the bulk of the Iranian missiles. The official said that the policy resulted in a significant "drawdown" of the US interceptor stockpile.  During the conflict, the US used about half of its stockpile of advanced interceptors, including Patriots, SM-3, SM-6, and THAAD interceptors. WaPo further quotes the following analyst who said— "The numbers are striking," said Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center. "The United States absorbed most of the missile defense mission while Israel conserved its own magazines. Even if the operational logic was sound, the United States is left with roughly 200 THAAD interceptors and a production line that can’t keep pace with demand." The US intelligence community says Iran has over 70% of its pre-war launchers and missiles. Additionally, Tehran has resumed drone production, and it’s rebuilding its military production at a surprising rate.  A US official also told The Post that Israel's offensive capabilities were slowing down. They explained that by the end of March, Israel was conducting 50% fewer strikes against Iran because its air force was exhausted by operations against Lebanon and Yemen.  In recent days, President Donald Trump has threatened to restart the war against Iran if Tehran does not comply with his demands. However, the President had made similar threats throughout the six-week-long ceasefire and has always backed down.  The Post reports that the US has positioned additional naval assets near Israel to assist with missile defense in the war restarts. Tyler Durden Fri, 05/22/2026 - 18:25

The US has depleted nearly half of its total inventory of advanced missile-defence interceptors in defending Israel in the now-paused war with Iran, The Washington Post reported. The United States launched more than 200 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, interceptors in defence of Israel - roughly half of the Pentagon's total inventory - along with more than 100 Standard Missile-3 and Standard Missile-6 interceptors fired from naval vessels in the eastern Mediterranean, the Post quoted US officials as saying. By contrast, Israel fired fewer than 100 of its Arrow interceptors and around 90 David's Sling interceptors, some of which were used against less sophisticated projectiles fired by Iran-backed groups in Yemen and Lebanon, the Post report said on Thursday. The US and Israel started the war with Iran on February 28 with attacks targeted at its military, navy and air force facilities. The attacks have also wiped out top Iranian leadership, including the supreme leader,

US used more missile interceptors defending Israel than its own forces did: Report The US military used more of its advanced missile defence interceptors to defend Israel from Iranian attacks than its ally spent defending its own homeland, according to a report by The Washington Post published on Thursday. The heavy burden the US endured to defend Israel has caused the shortage of interceptors that Middle East Eye and other outlets reported on previously. The US's Gulf allies were brushed off when they requested interceptor refills, MEE reported during the height of the war. Israel did send Iron Dome batteries and personnel to defend its close Arab partner, the UAE. The US launched more than 200 Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) interceptors in defence of Israel, roughly half of the Pentagon’s total inventory, the Washington Post reported. The US also fired more than 100 Standard Missile-3 and Standard Missile-6 interceptors from vessels in the Eastern Mediterranean. Israel fired fewer than 100 Arrow interceptors and around 90 David’s Sling interceptors. The latter were also used to shoot down projectiles fired from the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Both groups generally have fewer advanced missiles and drones than Iran. Read more: US used more missile interceptors defending Israel than its own forces did, report indicates

US used half its missile interceptors defending Israel: Washington Post The US used a large portion of its advanced missile defence stockpile while defending Israel during the war with Iran, according to defence assessments cited by The Washington Post. US forces reportedly fired more than 200 THAAD interceptors against Iranian ballistic missiles, amounting to roughly half of the Pentagon’s total inventory. The report said Israel used far fewer of its own missile defence systems during the conflict. According to the Post, Israeli forces launched fewer than 100 Arrow interceptors and about 90 David’s Sling missiles.

US used more missile interceptors defending Israel than its own forces did: Report Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 05/21/2026 - 21:05 US has just 200 Thaad interceptors left if it restarts war on Iran, after a massive imbalance in defence of ally Explosions from projectile interceptions by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system are pictured over Tel Aviv, Israel, on 28 February 2026 (Jack Guez/AFP) Off The US military used more of its advanced missile defence interceptors to defend Israel from Iranian attacks than its ally spent defending its own homeland, according to a report by The Washington Post published on Thursday. The heavy burden the US endured to defend Israel has caused the shortage of interceptors that Middle East Eye and other outlets reported on previously. The US's Gulf allies were brushed off when they requested interceptor refills, MEE reported during the height of the war. Israel did send Iron Dome batteries and personnel to defend its close Arab partner, the UAE. The US launched more than 200 Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) interceptors in defence of Israel, roughly half of the Pentagon’s total inventory, the Washington Post reported. The US also fired more than 100 Standard Missile-3 and Standard Missile-6 interceptors from vessels in the Eastern Mediterranean. Israel fired fewer than 100 Arrow interceptors and around 90 David’s Sling interceptors. The latter were also used to shoot down projectiles fired from the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Both groups generally have fewer advanced missiles and drones than Iran. 'Lopsided dynamic' The Washington Post said that the numbers reflect a “lopsided dynamic” in the military relationship between the two countries. “Stunning!” Trita Parsi, the executive vice President at the Quincy Institute, wrote on X. The real reason Iran and the US cannot end the war: Money Read More » “Very understandable that many view the Iran war as ‘Israel first’ when you see these statistics,” he added. “The US depleted far more of its advanced missile defense interceptors inventory to defend Israel than Israel itself did.” The US and Iran are currently discussing a proposal to end the war amid a shaky ceasefire. President Donald Trump has threatened to resume attacking Iran if it doesn’t agree to his terms to end the war. But with just 200 Thaad interceptors left, the US appears to be in a vulnerable position. It was no secret that the US’s stockpile of interceptors was stretched going into the conflict. The battle was a race, with the US and Israel trying to destroy as many of Iran’s ballistic missiles and launchers inside the country as possible, and Iran trying to outlast the supplies of US, Israeli, and Gulf interceptors.  The New York Times reported last week that Iran still has about 70 percent of the mobile missile launchers and roughly 70 percent of the missile stockpile it had before the war. The Washington Post reported that the US would likely have to carry an even greater share of Israel’s defence if the war resumes because of a recent decision by the Israeli military to take some of its missile defence batteries offline for maintenance. “The imbalance will likely be exacerbated if fighting restarts,” a US official told the newspaper. War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0