Pentagon: US Shoulders Majority of ’Israel’s’ Missile Defense

By Staff, Agencies

The Pentagon said the United States spent much of its advanced missile-defense stock defending the "Israeli" occupation in the war against, sparking concerns over Washington’s military readiness and commitments.

According to three US officials cited in the report, the US military launched more than 200 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense [THAAD] interceptors during the war, amounting to roughly half of the Pentagon’s total stockpile.

The US also fired more than 100 Standard Missile-3 [SM-3] and Standard Missile-6 [SM-6] interceptors from naval vessels stationed in the eastern Mediterranean.

By comparison, "Israeli" occupation forces [IOF] reportedly used fewer than 100 Arrow interceptors and around 90 David’s Sling interceptors, some of which were directed against projectiles launched by the Yemeni Armed Forces and the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah.

The officials said the figures demonstrate the extent to which Washington carried the primary burden of countering Iranian ballistic missile strikes, while IOF conserved their own high-end interceptor systems.

Meanwhile, military analysts warned that the large-scale expenditure of advanced interceptors could affect Washington’s readiness in other regions, particularly Asia, where US allies such as Japan and South Korea rely heavily on American missile-defense capabilities.

Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, described the figures as “striking”, noting that the United States was left with roughly 200 THAAD interceptors while production rates remain insufficient to replenish supplies quickly.

A US administration official cited by the report said Washington “shot around 120 more interceptors and engaged twice as many Iranian missiles” as "Israeli" occupation during the confrontation.

The report added that if hostilities resume, the imbalance could deepen further due to recent "Israeli" decisions to temporarily take some missile-defense batteries offline for maintenance.

In response to the report, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell defended the operational framework, stating that ballistic missile interceptors represented only one component of a broader integrated defense network involving fighter aircraft, counter-drone systems, and other advanced capabilities.

The "Israeli" Embassy in Washington also defended the military coordination, describing the aggression as formed of closely coordinated campaigns conducted “to the benefit of both countries and their allies.”

The assessments nevertheless pointed to growing tensions between Washington and the "Israeli" occupation leadership as the confrontation with Iran became more prolonged and costly than initially anticipated by US planners.

According to US and West Asian officials cited in the report, "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu played a key role in persuading US President Donald Trump to escalate militarily against Iran, arguing that the campaign could lead to regime change and eliminate Tehran’s nuclear capabilities.

The report said Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz is straining global energy markets, while intelligence shows Tehran still holds about 70% of its prewar missile arsenal. Much of its enriched uranium also likely remains in targeted facilities.

Tensions with "Israel" rise as Trump and Netanyahu clash over resuming fighting, with US officials warning that "Israel" cannot sustain the war alone. Additional US naval forces have been deployed, as any escalation could further stretch both militaries.