.png)
THE escalating conflict across the Middle East is rapidly turning into a costly air defence battle as the United States, Israel and their regional allies expend vast numbers of expensive interceptor missiles to counter Iran’s growing barrage of ballistic missiles and drones.
Iran has continued launching missiles across the region in retaliation for joint US-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory that began on Feb 28, forcing a large-scale defensive response from Washington, Tel Aviv and several Gulf states.
Each incoming ballistic missile typically requires at least one interceptor missile costing millions of dollars to neutralise, and in many cases multiple interceptors are fired to ensure a successful interception.
Since the conflict erupted, US, Israeli and Gulf air defence systems have reportedly intercepted hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones, creating a rapidly escalating financial burden while also depleting critical weapons stockpiles.
Iranian missiles and drones are now flying across large parts of West Asia, compelling the United States and its allies to deploy large numbers of costly interceptors in only a matter of days.
According to the Pentagon, Iran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and about 2,000 one-way attack drones since the US and Israel began their joint military campaign.
Several Gulf states, including Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, have reported intercepting hundreds of those missiles.
Combined reports from the countries involved indicate that at least 500 ballistic and cruise missiles as well as around 1,300 drones have been shot down so far.
Although the full financial cost of the conflict has not been officially disclosed, emerging data suggests the expense of air defence operations has risen sharply.
A new analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates that the cost of interceptor missiles used to destroy Iranian missiles and drones reached approximately US$1.7 billion in just the first 100 hours of the conflict.
The high price of interceptor missiles has made sustained air defence particularly expensive. The United States, Israel and Gulf countries rely heavily on American-made systems such as the Patriot missile defence system.
Each Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor missile is estimated to cost about US$3.7 million.
Under standard air defence doctrine, at least two interceptor missiles are often launched against a single incoming ballistic missile to maximise the likelihood of destruction. This means a single interception can cost close to US$8 million.
The United Arab Emirates, which has faced one of the highest volumes of Iranian attacks among Gulf states, reported intercepting nearly 200 missiles. If each interception relied on PAC-3 interceptors, the cost could approach US$1.5 billion.
In addition to Patriot systems, the United States has also deployed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, whose interceptor missiles are estimated to cost nearly US$13 million each.
By comparison, Iran’s weapons are far cheaper to produce and deploy.
Iranian-made Shahed one-way attack drones are estimated to cost between US$20,000 and US$50,000 per unit.
Based on Pentagon figures, the minimum value of the drones launched by Iran so far is estimated at about US$40 million — a figure roughly equivalent to the cost of fewer than 11 PAC-3 interceptor missiles or fewer than four THAAD interceptors.
Cost estimates for various missile systems illustrate the imbalance. Iran’s Fateh-110 missile is believed to cost about US$200,000, while the Shahab-3 ballistic missile may cost between US$500,000 and US$1 million.
By comparison, the US Tomahawk cruise missile costs roughly US$1.5 million to US$2 million, while the Patriot PAC-3 interceptor used for missile defence costs between US$3 million and US$4 million per missile.
The widening cost gap highlights the growing financial strain of defending against large volumes of relatively inexpensive missiles and drones, raising concerns about the sustainability of prolonged air defence operations as the conflict continues. - March 9, 2026
