Israel faced a shortage of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors as Iranian ballistic missiles struck its cities during the Israeli-Iranian War in June 2025.
The U.S. is said to have requested Saudi Arabia to transfer a portion of its interceptor stockpile to Israel. However, the Kingdom declined the request.
The request came during a telephone call between Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khaled Bin Salman (KBS) and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
The note provides an overview of the following aspects:
- The impact of the Saudi refusal on bilateral relations with the U.S. as perceived by Washington
- A message Hegseth conveyed to KBS concerning the Saudi position
- KBS' response to Hegseth
