Chiney Marom: Israel Faces Serious Shortage of Interceptor Missiles

Major General (res.) Eliezer (Chiney) Marom, former commander of the Navy and a senior researcher at the Begin-Sadat Center, discussed reports on the emerging US-Iran agreement and the status of interceptor stockpiles in Israel and the US during an interview on 103FM radio.

Addressing the US strategic position, Marom stated: "The Americans really do not want to strike Iran, and the primary reason is a shortage of munitions, especially interceptors. Donald Trump's current strategy is to reach the November elections with low fuel prices."

Marom added that Iran, perceiving this hesitation, is blackmailing the US to secure favorable terms while accelerating its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. "The ones cooking this porridge are the Qataris, whose sole interest is keeping Iran stable and strong," he noted.

Israel's Required Actions

Marom proposed several steps for Israel:

1. Maintain negotiations with Lebanon. These talks must not collapse, as they are a significant concern for the Iranians.

2. Remain prepared to strike at any moment. If the US does not act, Israel may have no choice but to strike Iran's production facilities alone to prevent a nuclear breakout.

The Interceptor Depletion Crisis

Regarding defense capabilities, Marom clarified: "Israel also has very serious interceptor problems. We have fewer Arrow missiles than we would like, and production capacity is very low. A significant portion of interceptions has been handled by THAAD and SM3 systems from US Navy ships."

Responding to Yinon Magal’s concerns about disclosing such sensitive information, Marom replied: "The figures I cited come from American media sympathetic to Donald Trump. They are close to reality given the heavy expenditure of munitions. The US has used over a thousand Tomahawk missiles. This raises major questions for a superpower: if we are struggling against Iran, what happens if we have to fight China? This matter requires investigation."