The United States fired more than 200 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors to defend Israel during the now-paused war with Iran, depleting nearly half of the Pentagon's total inventory of the system, according to a Washington Post report citing US officials. The report also stated that the US launched over 100 Standard Missile-3 and Standard Missile-6 interceptors from naval vessels in the eastern Mediterranean.

In comparison, Israel fired fewer than 100 Arrow interceptors and around 90 David's Sling interceptors, the report said. Some of these were used against less sophisticated projectiles fired by Iran-backed groups in Yemen and Lebanon.

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The report noted that the US and Israel began the war with Iran on February 28 with attacks targeting its military, navy, and air force facilities. These attacks also eliminated top Iranian leadership, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The hostilities, which included Iranian attacks on US allies in West Asia, have been paused since a ceasefire came into effect on April 8. Since then, the US and Iran have been discussing a peace deal to end more than four decades of hostilities.

A US administration official told the Post that the US shot around 120 more interceptors and engaged twice as many Iranian missiles. The report added that if hostilities resume, as threatened by President Donald Trump, the US military is likely to use an even greater share of interceptors because the Israeli military has recently taken some missile-defence batteries offline for maintenance. The official said the imbalance will likely increase if fighting restarts.

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The Pentagon defended the balance of military resources used by the two countries. Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, said ballistic missile interceptors are just one tool in a vast network of systems that make up a layered and integrated air defence network. He added that both Israel and the US carried the defensive burden equitably during Operation Epic Fury, employing fighter aircraft, counter-UAS systems, and other advanced air and missile defence capabilities effectively.

The Israeli government also defended the approach. The Israeli Embassy in Washington said that Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury were coordinated at the highest and closest levels for the benefit of both countries and their allies. The statement added that the US has no other partner with the military willingness, readiness, shared interests, and capabilities of Israel. The Post report said the figures highlight the scale of US interceptor use during the conflict, which remains paused under the April 8 ceasefire as peace deal discussions continue.

Published on: May 22, 2026 8:06 AM IST