Israel Is Running Low on Air Defense Interceptors, Rationing Has Started

Multiple outlets are reporting that Israel only has a limited number of air defense interceptors available to shoot down incoming Iranian missiles. Since Tel Aviv launched its offensive war on Friday, Tehran has launched several waves of drones and missiles at Israel in response.

On Tuesday, Middle East Eye reported speaking with a senior US official who explained, “Israel is using its ballistic missile interceptors at a rapid clip.” The official went on to warn that if Washington officially entered the conflict, it would drain American air defense stockpiles to a “horrendous” level.

While Washington has provided Tel Aviv with intelligence, arms, and defensive support, US forces have not directly attacked Iran. Israeli officials are pushing President Donald Trump to begin offensive strikes on Iran. If President Donald Trump does give in to Israeli pressure, it would put 50,000 US troops stationed across the Middle East at risk of being attacked by Iran.

Additionally, US stockpiles of interceptors were stretched thin before Israel launched its war of choice against Iran. When asked last month if the US would provide Ukraine with the air defenses it was requesting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio replied that Washington could not send more Patriot missiles and launchers because “frankly, we don’t have” the supply.

The MEE reporting was confirmed later in the day by the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. “Israel is running low on defensive Arrow interceptors,” WSJ explained.

The Arrow interceptor is one of the three stages of Israeli air defenses. According to the Post, Tel Aviv also has a limited supply of Iron Dome interceptors. “Without resupplies from the United States or greater involvement by U.S. forces, some assessments project Israel can maintain its missile defense for 10 or 12 more days if Iran maintains a steady tempo of attacks,” a source told the outlet.

The official added that Tel Aviv will begin having to select which missiles to shoot down, and allow others to reach their targets. “They will need to select what they want to intercept,” the source said. “The system is already overwhelmed.”

Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the hawkish think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies, told WSJ the limited number of interceptors will force Tel Aviv to wrap up the conflict quickly.

“Neither the U.S. nor the Israelis can continue to sit and intercept missiles all day,” he said. “The Israelis and their friends need to move with all deliberate haste to do whatever needs to be done, because we cannot afford to sit and play catch.”

Along with Israeli-operated air defenses, the US has deployed THAAD and Patriot systems to Israel.

Source: Libertarian Institue

From The Washington Post citing US and Israeli intel:

"Israel can maintain its missile defense for 10 or 12 more days"

Each night of Israeli AD costs $285 million! And we know who's paying for that.

The only question is how much Iran has left in store pic.twitter.com/NuueUR6yW9

— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) June 18, 2025

According to officials speaking with the New York Times, Israel is beginning to ration its air defense systems to military sites and densely populated areas as supplies are becoming strained. The US is aiding Israel in downing Iranian missiles.

“Already, Israel’s military has had to conserve its use of interceptors and is giving greater priority to the defense of densely populated areas and strategic infrastructure, according to the officials,” the Times reports.

The outlet spoke with a former Israeli intelligence officer who said the country’s air defenses were not intended to be stretched so thin. Zohar Palti, a former senior officer in the Mossad, explained, “When planning how to defend Israel in future wars, no one envisaged a scenario in which we would be fighting on so many fronts and defending against so many rounds of ballistic missiles.”

Tel Aviv has a three-layer missile defense system that includes Arrow, David’s Sling, and the Iron Dome. Additionally, Israel uses fighter jets and a laser system to down incoming munitions. The US has also deployed THAAD and Patriot batteries to Israel to defend the country against its war of aggression against Iran.

So far, Tel Aviv claims only ten percent – 40 out of 400 – Iranian missiles have hit targets in Israel. Tel Aviv estimates that Tehran has used between a third and half of its missile stockpiles in the multiple missile barrages it has fired at Israel in response to Israel’s bombing campaign.

However, the number of Iranian missiles and Israeli interceptors are closely guarded secrets.

On Wednesday, multiple outlets reported that Israel was running out of Arrow and Iron Dome interceptors.

Palti argued that Tel Aviv’s limited supply of interceptors is cause for Israel to bring the war to a close. “Now that Israel has succeeded in striking most of its nuclear targets in Iran, Israel has a window of two or three days to declare the victory and end the war,” he said.

Source: Libertarian Institute