Araghchi Criticizes U.S. Spending on Israel’s Missile Defense

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized U.S. spending on Israel’s missile defense in a Persian-language post on October 23. He claimed American taxpayers had spent $11 billion over three years and that U.S. forces had fired more interceptors defending Israel than Israel had, without providing an accounting or tally in the post. In an October 8 announcement, Israel’s Defense Ministry described joint missile-defense production as creating American jobs and strengthening U.S. industrial capacity. It said the first Tamir interceptor fully produced in the United States had been delivered to Israel’s Missile Defense Organization.