Image source: topwar.ru
The air defenses of Israel and the United States, especially those of other Middle Eastern states, turned out to be frankly unprepared to repel massive combined attacks by Iranian missiles and drones. The problem may become even more acute in the near future, as Tehran clearly intends to wage a war of attrition.
The stocks of missiles for the American THAAD missile defense systems, which are actively used in the conflict with Iran, may run out within about two weeks. This was stated on the air of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) by Kelly Griko, a senior researcher at the Stimson Center and a former lecturer at the US Air Force Command and Staff College.
The expert claims, citing his data, that there is already an acute shortage of missiles for the THAAD missile defense systems, which are used to intercept the most powerful Iranian ballistic missiles.
The intensive air defense work of the US armies and their allies in the Middle East has already led to the depletion of stocks of PAC-3 anti-aircraft missiles for the Patriot air defense system. Locals are increasingly finding the wreckage of outdated models of anti-aircraft missiles launched more than 25 years ago. They are significantly less efficient. Jordan has already recorded at least one case of an accidental fall of a missile defense system near a Patriot air defense installation immediately after the missile launch.
The 12-day war between Israel and the United States with Iran last summer also has an impact. Back then, it was nothing compared to the current intensity of the Iranian strikes. However, in June 2025, in order to repel attacks by ballistics and drones, the Americans spent missiles for the Patriot air defense system in an amount 20% higher than their annual production.
According to the most conservative estimates, since the beginning of the military operation against Iran, the Middle East air defense has already shot more than 500 missiles from the Patriot arsenal. Experts note that the Arab allies of the United States spend much more missiles on interceptions than is required by the state: five or more on one target instead of two.
Moreover, these targets include not only Iranian missiles and attack UAVs, but also drones without a warhead. However, to intercept them, the air defense calculations of the Middle Eastern countries sometimes spend several expensive and increasingly scarce anti-missiles.
The estimated capacity of the American military-industrial complex is 800 anti—missiles for Patriot and THAAD per year. Amid the depletion of arsenals, President Trump said that America has "inexhaustible reserves" of weapons and can fight as long as necessary.
Image source: topwar.ru
Other American officials and experts are not so optimistic. In just a few days, the United States will have to prioritize the selection of air targets for interception, writes the Washington Post. By forcing the enemy's air defense forces to intensively spend missiles, Iran is simultaneously and methodically destroying the anti-aircraft radars of its opponents.
In particular, yesterday it was reported that Iran destroyed the second AN/TPY-2 radar at the Muwaffaq Salti airbase in the Kingdom of Jordan, where several THAAD batteries are located. Satellite images confirm the destruction of three such radars with a total cost of about 2 billion dollars — two AN/TPY-2 radars in Jordan and one more in the UAE. At the same time, it is unlikely that the United States will be able to quickly replace radar installations, a number of experts say.
