Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Syria: Local sources for Al-Mayadeen: An IOF patrol consisting of 4 vehicles entered the village of Suissa in the southern countryside of Quneitra
Trump on Truth Social: When Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective
Trump on Truth Social: After negotiations, 'Israel' has agreed to the initial withdrawal line, which we have shown to, and shared with, Hamas
An al-Quds Brigades field commander to Al Mayadeen: We tell the enemy soldiers that we are not far from you, and you will see our faces whenever we decide to, because we are waging a harsh and complex battle of attrition
An al-Quds Brigades field commander to Al Mayadeen: The enemy is advancing toward the heart of Gaza City under the watchful eyes of our Resistance fighters with their tactics focused on valuable targets
An al-Quds Brigades field commander to Al Mayadeen: The enemy is advancing slowly and using unmanned vehicles to uncover and target combat nodes, which we are aware of
An al-Quds Brigades field commander to Al Mayadeen: We carried out a number of heroic operations, and the enemy, as usual, is lying and misleading the public about its human losses
An al-Quds Brigades field commander to Al Mayadeen: The enemy is making the most of previous battles to minimize its losses
Israeli media: Netanyahu summons Ben-Gvir and Smotrich for immediate meeting
Sheikh Qassem: Trump presented the plan at this time to absolve "Israel" from its crimes before international public opinion

Israeli missile defense at risk of collapse in coming days: WashPo

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Washington Post
  • 18 Jun 2025 04:12
  • 9 Shares
3 Min Read

A Washington Post report reveals that "Israel’s" missile defense could fail within days under sustained Iranian attacks, as costs skyrocket and interceptor supplies dwindle.

Listen
  • x
  • Israeli missile defense at risk of collapse in coming days: WaPo
    Israeli occupation soldiers demonstrate the operation of the Arrow air defense system at the Palmachim base on the coast of occupied Palestine, on November 7, 2002. (AP)

A long war of attrition between "Israel" and Iran may not be sustainable for Tel Aviv, according to a new report by The Washington Post, which highlights mounting costs and dwindling interceptor supplies as critical vulnerabilities in "Israel’s" air defense network.

The report, published Monday, cites assessments from US and Israeli intelligence officials indicating that without urgent resupply or direct US military intervention, "Israel" may only be able to sustain its current level of missile defense for another 10 to 12 days.

“They will need to select what they want to intercept,” one source briefed on the matter said. “The system is already overwhelmed.”

The Post’s analysis aligns with recent warnings by military-focused open-source intelligence (OSINT) account @METT_Project, which projected that Iran’s sustained ballistic missile salvos could begin heavily breaching "Israel’s" multi-layered missile shield around Day 18 of the war. That projection, based on interceptor usage rates and known inventories, suggested that daily missile penetrations would increase significantly as the Israeli grid begins to ration munitions and prioritize critical zones.

Read more: Analysis finds Israeli missile defenses may crumble by day 18 of war

Related News

Iran executes six 'Israel'-linked terrorists behind deadly attacks

Tucker Carlson: Israeli officers gave orders on Iran inside Pentagon

High cost of BMD necessitates quick end to war

The economic strain of defending against Iran’s heavy missile barrages is also becoming untenable. According to The Marker, an Israeli financial outlet, the cost of operating missile defense systems has soared to approximately one billion shekels per night, about $285 million. "Israel’s" reliance on high-end systems like the Arrow-2 and Arrow-3, whose interceptors cost roughly $3 million apiece, has raised alarms over the sustainability of its current escalation.

Why can't the Iron Dome defend against Iran's missiles?

The Israeli layered air defense system consists of several high-performance missiles, such as the Arrow line of interceptors and the David's Sling missiles, as well as cheaper Iron Dome/Tamir missiles optimized for taking down rocket artillery. 

A sign of strain on air defense capabilities appeared on Tuesday morning as an attempt to thwart an Iranian attack on a site belonging to the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate (Aman) failed. In this exchange, Tamir interceptors were launched at the incoming missiles as a last-ditch attempt to prevent a direct hit on Aman assets.

“It’s like shooting a 9-millimeter pistol at a freight train,” said Israeli strategic analyst Efraim Inbar, describing the mismatch between cheaper, widely deployed Iron Dome interceptors and the supersonic ballistic missiles used by Iran. While Iron Dome is optimized for short-range rocket threats, such as those from Gaza, it is virtually ineffective against long-range Iranian missiles that travel through the upper atmosphere.

The Washington Post report adds that US officials are closely monitoring the pace of Iran’s strikes and the strain on Israeli systems. As Iranian salvos continue, Israeli commanders are increasingly forced to make difficult decisions about which targets to protect, a scenario that could soon expose strategic infrastructure and population centers to successful hits.

Read more: Iran's heavy barrages impact multiple Israeli targets overnight

  • war on Iran
  • Israel
  • Israeli occupation forces
  • David's sling
  • Arrow 3
  • Iran
  • Iron Dome

Most Read

Hamas fighters stand in formation ahead of a ceremony to hand over Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP)

Hamas reviews Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan as PIJ rejects

  • Palestine
  • 30 Sep 2025
Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

  • West Asia
  • 30 Sep 2025
Trump’s 21-point Gaza plan vs Netanyahu’s demand for Hamas defeat

Trump vows 'something special' in ME; Israeli delegation in chaos

  • US & Canada
  • 28 Sep 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Activists deported to Turkey after 'Israel' hijacks Sumud Flotilla
West Asia

137 activists arrive in Turkey after 'Israel' hijacked Sumud Flotilla

Law enforcement hold back protesters near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Ill., Friday, Oct. 3, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Black Hawks and break-ins: Chicago immigration crackdown intensifies

WP: American Jews increasingly critical of 'Israel' over Gaza War
US & Canada

Majority of American Jews say 'Israel' committed war crimes in Gaza

David Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, at the “Rebels With a Cause” gala in Hollywood, in 2014 (AP)
Politics

The Ellisons take US media power structure by storm, reshape industry

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS