US Fired 70 Patriot, More Than a Dozen THAAD Interceptors Against Iran Attack - WSJ

WASHINGTON, Sep 16:  The US military fired as many as 70 Patriot interceptors and more than a dozen THAAD interceptors to counter a recent Iranian ballistic missile attack on Jordan, highlighting growing demands on US air-defense stocks, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

US forces launched between 60 and 70 Patriot interceptors against an Iranian attack involving about 20 ballistic missiles, while more than a dozen Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors were also fired, according to US and regional officials cited by the newspaper.

The number of interceptors used was roughly equivalent to the quantity expended by US forces during an entire week at some other points in the conflict, the report said.

Iran reportedly used warheads that separated into multiple projectiles as they approached their targets, making interception more difficult.

The US defenses did not stop all incoming threats. Iranian missiles struck fighter jets and other aircraft at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, although no US personnel were killed in the latest attack, according to the Journal.

US officials said Iranian attacks have become increasingly complex, using different missile types, trajectories, maneuvers and warheads in efforts to penetrate American defenses.

US Central Command declined to comment on the report. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell rejected suggestions that US interceptor stocks had been depleted.

“Reports suggesting that the United States’ munitions are depleted are completely false,” Parnell said, adding that US forces remain capable of responding to threats.

President Donald Trump also said on Monday that the United States maintains large stocks of interceptors and is increasing production.

A Defense Department inspector general report released this week, however, said the conflict had “resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply.”

By mid-July, US forces had used about 1,700 Patriot interceptors and more than 200 THAAD interceptors during the conflict, according to officials cited by the Journal. US Navy ships had also fired about 150 Standard Missile interceptors against Iranian missiles and drones.

Lockheed Martin, which manufactures Patriot interceptors, produced 620 in 2025 and is seeking to increase annual production to about 2,000, the report said.

US officials have also raised concerns that transferring large quantities of munitions to the Middle East could affect Washington’s ability to respond to potential threats elsewhere, including Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

Separately, Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, told CBS’ “60 Minutes” this week that he was not concerned about interceptor shortages and said US forces were prepared for any contingency.

The pressure on US air-defense inventories has also prompted Gulf states to seek additional interceptors following months of Iranian missile and drone attacks, while raising concerns about the availability of air-defense systems for Ukraine amid Russian strikes, according to the Journal.