Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised US military aid to Israel on Friday, claiming Washington had spent $11 billion on missile defence for the country over the past three years. He made the remarks in a post on social media platform X, questioning the scale of American military support for Israel.
Araghchi said the United States had fired more missile interceptors while defending Israel than Israel itself had used. He argued that American taxpayers had carried a substantial share of the financial and military burden associated with protecting the country against missile attacks.
Citing estimates by US foreign policy analyst Stephen Semler, Araghchi said American forces had fired 609 missile interceptors in defence of Israel since October 2023. The figures, according to his post, were based on Pentagon budget documents and other sources.
The Iranian foreign minister described the relationship between Washington and Tel Aviv as unequal. He argued that the level of American support raised questions about the benefits and responsibilities shared by the two allies. His comments reflected Tehran’s criticism of continued American military assistance to Israel.
The reported $11 billion figure relates specifically to missile defence spending over the three-year period cited by Araghchi. Missile interceptors are designed to destroy incoming rockets or missiles before they reach their intended targets. Such systems play a significant role in Israel’s air defence against incoming threats.
Araghchi’s remarks come amid continuing regional tensions and international debate over American military assistance to Israel. The United States has provided Israel with extensive military support over many years, including funding, equipment and assistance for air and missile defence systems.
However, the spending figures and interceptor count cited in the report were presented by Araghchi, drawing on Semler’s estimates. The claims were not independently verified in the provided account. His statement has renewed attention on the financial cost of US military aid to Israel and the role of American forces in defending the country.
