US ‘lost half of its interceptor missiles’ defending Israel from Iran
The US has reportedly depleted half of its stock of anti-ballistic missiles defending Israel from Iranian attacks.
Assessments by the US department of defence have raised concerns about the US’s ability to respond to other potential military threats, according to a report by The Washington Post, as the toll of Donald Trump’s war with Iran continues to grow.
In its defence of Israel, the US has launched roughly half of its total inventory of the anti-ballistic missiles known as Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors, the report said, citing multiple anonymous US officials.
In addition to the 200 THAAD interceptors, it has also fired more than 100 Standard Missile-3 and Standard Missile-6 interceptors. That compares to the 100 Arrow interceptors and around 90 David’s Sling interceptors fired by Israel.
“In total, the US shot around 120 more interceptors and engaged twice as many Iranian missiles,” one US official said.
The rapidly depleted stock of US defences has reportedly alarmed allies who depend on the country for deterrence, such as Japan and South Korea, who face potential threats from China and North Korea.
Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesperson, told The Washington Post that “both Israel and the United States carried the defensive burden equitably”.
“Ballistic missile interceptors are just one tool in a vast network of systems and capabilities that comprise a layered and integrated air defence network,” he added.
In a statement to The Washington Post, a spokesman for the Israeli embassy in Washington said that the war had been “to the benefit of both countries and their allies”.
“The US has no other partner with the military willingness, readiness, shared interests, and capabilities of Israel.”
After first launching strikes on Iran in late February, Mr Trump faced backlash from his Maga base who accused him of abandoning his ‘America first’ slogan by being pushed into a war on foreign soil by Israel.
In the days after the first attacks, Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, suggested the US was prompted to act after being told by Israel it was going to strike Iran. He later walked back the comments.
Despite Mr Trump’s repeated claims over recent months that the war could be over soon, the conflict has rumbled on. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz – which placed a stranglehold on oil supplies and caused global energy prices to skyrocket – has been a source of deep frustration in Washington.
A ceasefire has been in place for several weeks as the two countries have sought to find a way to bring the war to an end.