U.S. and allied forces have intercepted more than 90% of Iranian missiles and drones during the ongoing conflict, according to a report from the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA). The success is attributed to a layered regional air defense system involving U.S., Israeli, and Arab systems, which has effectively neutralized incoming threats.
However, analysts warn that the U.S. and Israel are rapidly depleting their stockpiles of advanced interceptors. A report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) estimates that U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors will be exhausted by April 17, while Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) could run out by April 12. Israel’s Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 systems may be depleted even sooner, by April 5.
The high interception rates come at a significant cost. Iran’s cheaper missiles and drones are forcing the U.S. and Israel to expend expensive interceptors, creating a financial and logistical imbalance. The U.S. has deployed additional assets, including THAAD batteries, Patriot systems, two carrier strike groups, and roughly 200 fighter aircraft, to sustain the defense effort.
The conflict has also seen the destruction of over 140 Iranian naval vessels, including nearly 50 mine layers, according to a White House press briefing. Despite the defensive successes, analysts caution that depleting advanced munitions could undermine deterrence in other regions, such as the Indo-Pacific.