By Gerry Doyle
(Bloomberg) — The ability of the US, Israel, and Gulf Arab countries to deal with Iran's retaliatory attacks will largely rely on their stock of missile interceptors, which are likely at dangerously low levels after heavy fighting with Iran last year.
Iran primarily uses long-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones for its offensive operations, launching these after Israeli airstrikes in June 2025.
This time, in response to US and Israeli attacks, Iran quickly fired missiles at Israel and countries like Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
Defending against these weapons requires a larger number of interceptors, as military strategy typically employs two or three interceptors for each incoming target to increase the chances of a successful hit. If the current level of Iranian attacks continues, interceptor stocks could run low within days, according to insider information.
“Missile interceptors are a major concern, especially anti-ballistic interceptors,” said Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center. “We're using them faster than we can produce them.”
On Saturday, numerous Iranian missiles were intercepted around the region, but some got through. If Iran has more missiles than the available interceptors, more attacks will likely succeed.
“The stockpile was already low” for the US and its allies after last year, noted William Alberque, a senior fellow at the Pacific Forum, a foreign policy research institute.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the US used around 150 THAAD interceptors last June to protect Israel during a 12-day conflict with Iran. These systems represent the most advanced ground-based missile defense option available, with each interceptor costing about $15 million. However, only a few dozen were purchased last year.
These interceptors are designed to destroy ballistic missiles outside of the Earth's atmosphere. The expenses incurred from firing hundreds of them, along with various interceptors, are staggering. In April 2024, Bloomberg reported that the cost for Israel, along with the American, British, French, and Jordanian air forces, to counter missile and drone attacks from Iran was around $1.1 billion for just a few hours of operations.
The US and Israeli military forces plan to reduce Iran's missile and launcher capabilities and target high-ranking commanders to hinder their operations.
The question of which side can endure longer in this conflict is a serious one, according to Eyal Pinko, a former naval commander who researches at Bar Ilan University near Tel Aviv.
“A lot more attacks are on the way,” he said during a briefing at the Jerusalem Press Club. “They have thousands of missiles and drones in their arsenal. They will do whatever it takes to protect their regime. This has turned into a full-scale battle for their survival.”