CNN: U.S. Fired 80% of Its THAAD Interceptor Stockpile During War with Iran

The United States depleted approximately 80% of its THAAD missile interceptor stockpile during the war with Iran.

According to CNN, citing several anonymous sources familiar with the latest assessment of U.S. military inventories, American forces have used nearly four-fifths of their pre-war supply of THAAD interceptors since the campaign against Iran began. They have also expended roughly half of their Patriot air defense missile interceptors.

Military officials reportedly raised concerns about the rapid depletion of interceptor stockpiles before President Donald Trump decided last week to call off additional strikes against Iran.

The shortage of interceptor missiles has also alarmed U.S. allies in the Middle East, who fear that Washington’s ability to defend against potential Iranian missile attacks could be significantly weakened if tensions escalate again.

Earlier, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) published a similar assessment of U.S. air defense missile stockpiles, although with different figures.

According to the think tank, between February and July, the United States expended about 65% of its Patriot interceptor inventory, leaving fewer than 1,000 missiles in stock. Over the same period, the number of THAAD interceptors in U.S. arsenals declined by at least 38% – to approximately 250 missiles – compared with pre-war levels.

The concern is reflected in the Trump administration’s budget request, which seeks $95 billion for munitions procurement in fiscal year 2027, along with an additional $21 billion in supplemental funding. The FY2027 procurement plan calls for the acquisition of more than 3,000 Patriot interceptor missiles and approximately 800 THAAD interceptors.

However, near-term missile deliveries are expected to remain limited due to relatively low procurement volumes in previous years.

In addition, during the five-month conflict with Iran, the U.S. Army reportedly came close to exhausting its inventories of ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) and PrSM (Precision Strike Missile) long-range precision-guided missiles.

THAAD

THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) is a missile defense system designed to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles during their terminal phase, including exo-atmospheric intercepts. It employs the Talon hit-to-kill interceptor, which destroys incoming ballistic targets using kinetic energy alone, without an explosive warhead. The interceptor can engage ballistic missiles at altitudes of up to 150 km (93 miles) and ranges of up to 200 km (124 miles).

The United States currently operates seven THAAD batteries, with plans to expand the force to eight batteries. Production of Talon hit-to-kill interceptor missiles is also expected to increase fourfold.