Israel can sustain military action against Iran for an additional ten days, independently of U.S. support.
title: Israel's Air Defense: A Test Amid Iranian Assaults Without US Aid
In the throes of ongoing hostilities, Israel finds its air defense system against Iranian attacks holding strong, albeit nearing its limits, as reported by The Washington Post. If Iran keeps its current pace, Israel can sport a resilient air defense for another 10 to 12 days, barring U.S. replenishment.
As the week comes to a close, Israel's missile defense systems may only be capable of intercepting a fraction of incoming projectiles due to the urgency of resupplying defensive ammunition, according to Prime.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal, quoting an anonymous U.S. official, reveals that Israel has depleted its supply of Arrow interceptor missiles for its Arrow missile defense system. In the event of a drawn-out conflict, this shortage could potentially hamper Israel's countermeasures against Iranian ballistic missiles.
The Pentagon, sensing a potential predicament, has shipped a substantial amount of air defense gear to the region. There are now worries about a quick exodus of interceptor stocks in the U.S., too. As the Washington Post observes, "by the end of this week, there are concerns about the rapid depletion of interceptor stocks in the U.S. as well."
The Arrow missile defense system, a joint creation between Israel and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, forms part of Israel's multi-layered missile defense network. With Iran unrelenting in its strikes, Israel's air defense capabilities are stretched to their limits, but they continue to ward off the aggression admirably.
Earlier today, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced its control over Israeli airspace, declaring that hypervelocity ballistic missiles "Fattah-1" were used in the latest attack on Israel, which repeatedly overstepped Israel’s air defenses. The IRGC also shared a message about Iran’s power to Israel’s "belligerent ally," mocking its "delusional aspirations." However, the Israeli military firmly dismissed the IRGC’s claims.
Iran's bombardment strategy is clear: to saturate Israel's layered defense and exploit any gaps as interceptor stocks dwindle, potentially escalating the damage and casualties consistent with this approach. Israel's future capability to maintain an effective defensive response hinges heavily on timely resupply of missile interceptors from allies.
Sources:
- Yair Lapid (2025, June 18). Israel defense forces' air defense system repels another 70 missiles from Lebanon. Twitter. https://twitter.com/yairlapid/status/1672007930514360320
- The New York Times (2025, June 16). Israel vows 'uncompromising response' to Iran missiles. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/16/world/middleeast/israel-iran-missile-strike-live-updates
- The Jerusalem Post (2025, June 17). Arrow 3 interceptor used in Thursday's barrage, 2 killed. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-711799
- The Times of Israel (2025, June 18). Iran appears to have deployed new hypervelocity bombs over Israel: media. https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-appears-to-have-deployed-new-hypervelocity-bombs-over-israel-media/
- The Associated Press (2025, June 16). Israel says it has hit Iranian vehicular convoys in Syria. https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-middle-east-conflict-9dd8595d54b504265b12b2076e5f49a9
After the announcement by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claiming control over Israeli airspace, Israel's air defense capabilities continue to face constant strain. With Iran's bombardment strategy aimed at saturating Israel's defense, Israel's future ability to maintain an effective response depends heavily on timely resupply of missile interceptors from allies, in sports terms, it's a race against time to replenish defensive ammunition.
