U.S. Spends Over $1 Billion Defending Israel in 12-Day War

The United States has spent an estimated $1 to $1.2 billion defending Israel during a 12-day missile war with Iran earlier this month—a staggering figure that has reignited debate in Washington over the long-term costs of America’s military commitments in the Middle East.

- KO Web Desk

At the heart of the expenditure was the deployment of the U.S.'s elite THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system, which fired between 60 and 80 interceptors to shield Israeli cities from Iranian ballistic missile attacks. According to Military Watch Magazine each interceptor costs between $12 million and $15 million, making this one of the most expensive defensive operations in recent U.S. history.

While the U.S. government has long supported Israeli defense through military aid and joint systems like Iron Dome and Arrow, this episode marked a rare instance where American-operated missile defenses were directly used in live combat to protect Israeli territory at significant cost to U.S. taxpayers.