As Israel's Iranian missile defense weapons are dwindling, the United States deployed additional missile interceptor ships in the waters around Israel on the 20th (local time), the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.
According to the WSJ, a U.S. Navy destroyer arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean that day. This ship will intercept Iranian ballistic missiles targeting Israel, along with three destroyers already deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean and two destroyers in the Red Sea. All are Arleigh Burke-class destroyers equipped with interceptor missiles such as SM-2, SM-3, and SM-6.
Previously, the United States replenished its stock of ground-to-air interceptors for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system deployed in Israel last year. Analysts say the U.S. is augmenting its maritime and ground interceptor missiles because Israel's stock of interceptor missiles is rapidly decreasing.
An anonymous U.S. official told the WSJ, "If Iran continues missile attacks against Israel, the stock of Israel's interceptor missiles will be depleted within weeks," adding, "If that happens, Israel will only be able to intercept missiles just before they hit, significantly reducing the overall effectiveness of its air defense system."
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to answer a question in a televised interview the day before about whether the Arrow-3 high-altitude interceptor missiles were being depleted, asserting that "Israel has destroyed half of Iran's missile launchers, reducing the missile threat from Iran." The Arrow-3 is designed to intercept enemy missiles outside Earth's atmosphere, allowing it to eliminate threats before they enter Israeli airspace. If it fails to shoot down an enemy missile, it buys time to respond with other air defense systems.
The WSJ reported, "If the fighting (between Israel and Iran) continues, the U.S. may face a difficult decision regarding how many interceptors to use," noting, "While deploying interceptors in response to the Middle East situation, the quantities deployed in anticipation of a larger confrontation with China have been reduced."