Washington and Tel-Aviv could face a shortage of interceptor missiles if their military confrontation with Teheran drags on, the German magazine Spiegel reports.

According to the publication, Iran responded immediately to the initial assault with a missile strike on Israel, hitting, among other targets, the port city of Haifa. In the event of a prolonged conflict, the United States and Israel may struggle to fend off repeated attacks due to limited stockpiles of anti-aircraft missiles.

Commentators cited by Spiegel argue that dismantling Teheran’s missile capabilities would be an exceptionally difficult task. The challenge stems in large part from the geographic spread of Iran’s missile systems, which are deployed across the country and often concealed in mountainous terrain, complicating detection and destruction.

On February 28, the United States and Israel announced the launch of a large-scale military operation against Iran, despite the fact that Washington had been engaged in negotiations with Teheran over its nuclear program just a week earlier. Media reports indicate that the strikes targeted not only military facilities but also civilian infrastructure, resulting in casualties among the civilian population.

Teheran retaliated with strikes on Israeli territory and on U.S. military installations in the Middle East, further escalating the standoff.