Americas

Americas

US spent 50% of its THAAD interceptors on defending Israel

22 May 2026 01:52 (UTC +04:00)

The United States has expended half of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense interceptors defending Israel during the active phase of its military operation against Iran, APA reports citing The Washington Post (WP).

Citing classified US Defense Department estimates provided to her, she clarified that the United States used over 200 THAAD interceptors to defend Israel. This represents "roughly half of the Pentagon's entire inventory," the report states. Furthermore, the report notes, the US used over 100 SM-3 and SM-6 interceptors, launched from American ships in the eastern Mediterranean, to defend Israel. Israel, meanwhile, used fewer than 100 Arrow interceptors and approximately 90 David's Sling interceptors.

"Overall, the US launched approximately 120 more interceptors and intercepted twice as many Iranian missiles," a US administration official told the newspaper. Another US executive branch official told The Post that "Israel is incapable of waging war on its own and winning wars." "Nobody knows because they never see what's really going on behind the scenes," the US official emphasized.