Iran's Missile Stockpile May Be Shrinking As Strikes On Israel Taper Off, Says Think Tank: LMT, RTX, GD In Focus

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran has seen a decrease in the frequency of missile attacks by Iran, a new report suggests. This decline is attributed to Israel’s targeted strikes on Iran’s missile stockpile and launching capabilities.

What Happened: Despite the intensifying conflict, Iran has reduced the rate of its missile barrages on Israel. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has noted that Israel’s airstrikes have significantly impacted Iran’s ability to launch missiles at Israel, reported Fortune.

Iran launched six waves of attacks involving 100–200 missiles on Friday and Saturday, according to ISW estimates. Since then, however, it has conducted only two waves, each using 35–40 missiles, indicating that Israel's strikes may have reduced Iran's missile launch capacity. The early waves averaged approximately 33 missiles each, whereas the later waves have averaged around 20 missiles.

Before the conflict, U.S. and Israeli estimates placed Iran’s missile stockpile at about 2,000. ISW reported that Iran initially planned to launch 1,000 ballistic missiles at Israel, but only fired 200 due to Israeli strikes that damaged or destroyed several missile launchers and silos. If accurate, the estimates suggest Iran may soon struggle to maintain its current missile launch rate at Israel.

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Why It Matters: The recent decline in Iran’s missile attacks follows a series of events that have significantly impacted the country. Israel’s airstrikes have caused substantial damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities. This has led to a slow down in Iran’s nuclear program.

Israel has also eliminated several of Iran’s top military and scientific leaders, further weakening the country’s capabilities. These events have significantly impacted Iran’s ability to retaliate against Israel, leading to a potential shift in Iran’s military strategy.

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Despite the ongoing conflict, the U.S. economy is expected to face a relatively limited impact from the Israel-Iran airstrikes, as suggested by leading economists. This indicates that the economic implications of the conflict may be contained.

Defense stocks are in focus amid the Israel-Iran conflict. Rtx Corp RTX, Lockheed Martin Corp LMT and General Dynamics Corporation GD rose 1.22%, 0.90% and 0.36%, respectively, in Monday pre-market trading. RTX and GD rose over 2%, while LMT has gained over 9% since June 11.

Lockheed Martin, the largest arms manufacturer globally, produces the F-35 aircraft, which Israel employs in its regular bombardments of Gaza. RTX Corporation, formerly Raytheon, the second-largest arms manufacturer, provides Israel with "bunker buster" bombs, which are prohibited in densely populated areas.