The recent confrontation between Iran and Israel not only heightened regional tensions but also brought global attention to the effectiveness of some of the United States’ most advanced military technologies.
The US operates over 800 military bases worldwide, often positioning itself as the world’s policeman. A key motive behind this extensive military footprint is to safeguard the dominance of the US dollar, a fiat currency no longer backed by gold since the 1970s. This detachment from real assets allows the US to print money freely, effectively exporting inflation to countries that depend on the dollar. To uphold this economic advantage, the US projects overwhelming military superiority, showcasing advanced weapons like F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, and missile defense systems such as THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) and the Patriot system.
For decades, these weapons have been deployed mainly in conflicts involving non-state actors or militarily weak nations, particularly in the Middle East. But the Iran-Israel clash marked a turning point. This time, US and Israeli defense systems were tested against a formidable state actor with a large and sophisticated missile arsenal. Iran launched a massive barrage of ballistic and cruise missiles at Israel, home to multiple layers of US-supplied missile defense systems, forcing these much-hyped technologies into a real trial against high-volume, high-speed threats.
Despite the defensive layers in place, Israel experienced surprising levels of destruction. The THAAD and Patriot systems reportedly struggled to intercept low-flying and fast-moving projectiles, exposing serious limitations in scenarios involving saturation attacks or advanced missile technology. Iranian sources even claimed that several F-35 stealth jets, widely regarded as the crown jewels of US air power, were hit or damaged during the assault. While these claims remain unverified, they reflect growing skepticism about the combat resilience of expensive and supposedly state-of-the-art weaponry.
Whether or not every Iranian claim is accurate, the larger point stands: the myth of invincibility surrounding US and Israeli military technology has been punctured. The inability to fully repel the Iranian attack has raised concerns among global defense analysts and potential buyers of American weapons. If the most fortified US ally in the region couldn’t withstand a coordinated missile strike, the value proposition of these systems becomes questionable.
These developments carry major implications for the US defense industry, which relies heavily on international arms sales. Countries that previously viewed American weapons as the gold standard may begin to reconsider, especially as rivals like Russia, China, and now Iran demonstrate growing missile and drone capabilities. As modern warfare shifts toward hypersonic, low-altitude, and swarm-based attacks, traditional air defense systems may no longer provide adequate protection without substantial upgrades.
While much of the Western media coverage has focused on the political ramifications of the Israel-Iran conflict, the technical failures revealed in this confrontation deserve serious attention. They may signal a need to rethink not only hardware but also strategic assumptions about modern air defense and deterrence.
For the US military-industrial complex, this moment represents more than just a PR challenge. In an age of rapidly advancing threats, dominance by reputation alone is no longer enough.