Israel’s missile shield under strain as Iran’s relentless barrage drains stockpiles

Israel’s air defense systems are approaching a critical breaking point as relentless Iranian missile barrages continue to hammer its skies, raising urgent questions about how long the country can sustain its high-cost defense operations.

According to a Wall Street Journal report citing US intelligence sources, Israel’s stockpile of long-range interceptors — including its sophisticated Arrow missile system — is rapidly dwindling. If the current tempo of Iranian attacks continues, Israel may only be able to maintain its missile shield for another 10 to 12 days without immediate resupply from the United States.

The financial strain is staggering. Each Arrow interceptor costs roughly $3 million, while nightly defense operations — which rely on a multi-layered network of Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Patriots, THAAD, and Arrow batteries — are burning through an estimated 1 billion shekels, or $285 million, per night. “The system is already overwhelmed,” one intelligence source told WSJ. “Soon, they may have to choose which missiles to intercept.”

The warning comes as Israel’s Operation Rising Lion enters its second week, with Iranian forces having launched nearly 400 ballistic missiles — part of an estimated 2,000-strong arsenal capable of striking deep into Israeli territory.

While Israeli officials claim that one-third of Iran’s launch platforms have been destroyed and that air superiority has been achieved over Iranian skies, intelligence assessments caution that much of Iran’s missile stockpile remains intact, with many assets likely hidden in fortified underground facilities.

Signs of the mounting strain are already visible. Iranian missiles have evaded defenses to strike near the Israeli Defense Forces headquarters in Tel Aviv, force the shutdown of a major oil refinery near Haifa, and land dangerously close to an intelligence compound north of Tel Aviv, according to verified footage.

Since the escalation began, at least 24 people have been killed and over 600 injured, Israeli authorities confirmed.

Despite Israel’s offensive successes — including reported strikes on Iranian military bases, oil infrastructure, and suspected nuclear-linked sites — the durability of its missile defense now looms as a decisive factor in the conflict’s next phase.

Without rapid replenishment of its high-end interceptors, Israeli officials may soon be forced into grim calculations about which incoming threats to stop — and which to let through.