Semafor: Israel faces severe shortage of interceptor missiles
The American Semafor news website revealed, quoting US officials, that Israel is facing a severe shortage of ballistic missile interceptors, at a time when the war with Iran continues on several fronts.
Israel informed the United States a few days ago of a significant shortage of these missiles, especially as the long-range air defense system came under enormous pressure as a result of repeated Iranian attacks, to which Tehran has reportedly begun adding cluster munitions that are further depleting Israel’s stockpiles.
From the US side, Washington has been monitoring the shortage for months, as they were expecting this shortage.
“We’ve been monitoring it for several months,” a US official told the website.
He said the United States wasn’t facing a similar shortage of its own interceptor missiles, but he was concerned that US stockpiles could be depleted if military operations continue for too long.
“We’ve everything we need to protect our bases, our personnel and our interests in the region, but Israel is looking for solutions to address the shortage,” he added.
Israel has other means to counter Iranian missiles, most notably fighter jets, but interceptors remain the most effective against long-range fire.
At the same time, the Israeli Iron Dome system continues to counter short-range attacks, doubling the pressure on the entire air defense network.
Both US and Israeli sides are looking for solutions to make up for this shortfall, given that Washington has in the past guaranteed the provision of missile defense assets as part of military aid to Israel.
However, it’s not yet clear whether the United States will sell or share part of its interceptor missiles with Israel, a decision that could affect the US domestic stockpile and constitute a new test of the amount of support in the face of escalation.
