AhlulBayt News Agency: One of the United States’ most advanced missile defense systems, THAAD, faced an intense challenge during Iran’s recent retaliation, struggling to intercept a wide range of Iranian missiles with unpredictable capabilities.
Defense analysts and media outlets, including Newsweek, noted that the 12-day war beginning on June 13 saw Iran launch a massive number of ballistic missiles, including hypersonic types, at strategic Israeli targets.
The True Promise III operation targeted key Israeli cities: Tel Aviv (economic center), Haifa (major port), and Be’er Sheva (technology hub), delivering a heavy blow to the regime’s infrastructure.
Analysts estimate that the US used 15–20% of its global THAAD inventory, with interceptor costs exceeding $800 million, reflecting the scale of Iran’s missile barrage.
Each THAAD interceptor costs around $12–15 million, and with only 50–60 units produced annually by Lockheed Martin, the system’s stockpile was significantly depleted.
To support Israel, the US deployed at least two of its seven global THAAD batteries, highlighting the pressure on Washington to defend its regional ally.
Experts observed that THAAD, designed for high-altitude threats, was ineffective against Iran’s low-altitude and hypersonic missiles like Fattah-1, which have unpredictable flight paths.
A similar failure occurred in May, when Yemen’s Palestine-2 hypersonic missile evaded interception and reached its target in the occupied territories.
Iran also used a strategy of mass salvos, overwhelming THAAD, Patriot, and Israeli systems with decoys and non-critical targets, especially during the June 18 barrage over Tel Aviv.
This tactic created an asymmetric battlefield, where the missile defense systems were unable to cope with the volume and complexity of incoming fire.
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