Not Just the Interceptors: The Reason Trump Hesitates Against Iran

The article analyzes the main reason for Trump's hesitation in resuming combat against Iran: the desire to achieve a decisive victory without American casualties and a heavy economic price, alongside a shortage of interceptors due to decades of neglect of the defense industries.

The article, by Tamir Morag, argues that the main reason for President Trump's hesitation in resuming intensive combat against Iran is not just the shortage of American interceptors, but the desire to achieve a decisive victory without American casualties and without a heavy economic price. The author notes that public sensitivity to casualties in the US has reached unprecedented levels, and that Trump is unwilling to absorb even 20-30 fatalities. Alongside this, long-term neglect of the military and defense industries, mainly under Democratic administrations, has led to low production rates of interceptors such as SM-3 (about 50 per year), THAAD (25-37 per year), and Patriot PAC-3 (about 380 per year). The author criticizes the American approach as extreme and dangerous, comparing it to Putin's approach, but emphasizes that Iran has consumed a significant portion of its stockpiles. Trump, he says, is trying to achieve three conflicting goals: victory, zero casualties, and no economic harm.