As the US-Israel war with Iran enters its tenth day, Iran's missile launch capacity has been reduced by 75%, though Tehran has warned of counterattacks with more powerful ballistic missiles than previously used. The United States is also facing growing strain from depleting weapons stockpiles.
According to Reuters, the Jerusalem Post, and other international media outlets on the 9th (local time), the US and Israel announced they have destroyed 83% of Iran's drone launchers, 75% of missile launchers, and 51% of Iranian vessels. They claimed to have destroyed 5,000 targets using 2,000 missiles and drones. The US military stated that airstrikes and precision strikes targeted Iran's missile launch facilities and related military infrastructure, aiming to limit Iran's capacity for further attacks.
However, Iran has made clear its intent to respond forcefully. Iranian officials warned that their missile capabilities remain intact and that future attacks could employ missiles carrying warheads exceeding one ton. This is interpreted as signaling the potential use of weapons with far greater destructive power than before.
As US military assets are being rapidly depleted, movements of defense assets deployed to allied nations including South Korea have been detected. The Washington Post and foreign military analysis outlets reported that some Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems deployed in South Korea are being relocated to the Middle East. THAAD is a defense system that intercepts ballistic missiles at high altitude and is one of the primary missile defense systems operated by the United States.
Currently, a THAAD battery is stationed in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, operating as part of the Korean Peninsula defense system. However, since THAAD systems are equipment operated by the US military, they can be utilized for defense operations in other regions depending on circumstances.
The redeployment of US military assets is understood to be linked to the rapid pace of attacks, with approximately $5.6 billion worth of military assets used over two days. The Washington Post noted that "the US military may opt to attack with short-range missiles costing $100,000 per round instead of long-range missiles worth millions of dollars to reduce asset depletion."
