Rising Middle East tensions strain US, allied missile defences

The ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran is driving unprecedented demand for missile interceptors, raising concerns that allied air defences worldwide could be stretched dangerously thin.

Since the outbreak of hostilities, Iran has reportedly launched 23 cruise missiles, 498 ballistic missiles, and over 2,100 drones at the United Arab Emirates, according to the Emirati Ministry of Defence, the New York Times reports.

These waves of attacks have targeted both military and civilian infrastructure, highlighting Iran’s capacity for sustained offensive operations.

Missile defence experts warn that if the conflict continues, stockpiles of interceptors used in systems like the U.S.-made Patriot and THAAD batteries could fall to critically low levels, potentially leaving allied nations exposed. The exact number of interceptors in any country’s arsenal is highly classified, but analysts say the intensity of recent attacks suggests inventories in Gulf states—including the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain—have already been severely depleted.

But it is not only Ukraine and Middle East countries that are counting on a steady supply of interceptor systems. Countries like Taiwan, South Korea and Japan are relying on missile batteries to deter potential aggression by North Korea or China, and with the nations of Western Europe getting serious about their defences against Russia, the global nature of the challenge has become apparent.

In response, defence contractor Lockheed Martin announced plans in January to more than triple production of PAC-3 interceptors for Patriot missile systems, signaling the scale of demand and urgency facing U.S. and allied forces.

By Sabina Mammadli