US Munitions Depleted: Pentagon Warns of 'Dangerous Lows' Amid Iran Conflict
The US military is facing a severe munitions crisis, having exhausted nearly 80% of its central air defense interceptor inventory. Senior commanders warn that Pentagon stockpiles have reached a "dangerous low" as the conflict with Iran continues.
The US military is facing a severe munitions crisis, having exhausted nearly 80% of its central air defense system's interceptor inventory. Senior US military commanders warn that the Pentagon's ammunition stockpiles have reached a "dangerous low," as revealed in a CNN report based on several sources familiar with the details. The war against Iran is draining the US air defense inventory at a dizzying pace: beyond the dramatic depletion of THAAD interceptor missiles, the US military has used about half of its Patriot interceptors since the outbreak of hostilities.
This report follows a similar report by the Reuters news agency regarding the depleted US inventory. According to estimates by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), before the war, the US held about 2,200 Patriot missiles of the most advanced models, as well as 452 THAAD missiles. The alarming data regarding THAAD stockpiles is being published now for the first time.
Fear in the Gulf: Allies fear retaliation
The emptying of the stockpiles is causing real concern among US allies in the Persian Gulf. These countries, which rely heavily on American defense systems, are expressing deep concern over the inability to intercept missile and UAV attacks from Tehran, especially if President Donald Trump decides to escalate the conflict. This explosive issue led this past weekend to the dramatic cancellation of new strikes that Washington had planned against targets in Iran.
According to sources in the administration, Trump planned to carry out a large-scale attack last Friday, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth even received the final "green light" to execute. However, the President reversed his decision after consultations he held on Saturday with allies in the Middle East, who expressed grave concern over an Iranian strike on their energy infrastructure as a retaliatory measure. Trump ordered Hegseth to hold fire for now, although he made it clear that the military option remains on the table.
Pentagon reassures, internal warnings are alarming
In the Pentagon, they are trying to project control in the face of the crisis. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated that "the US military has a deep reservoir of capabilities to protect our interests." White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly added that the operation, dubbed 'Epic Fury', "proved what happens when you mess with the US," and that the security establishment has more than enough munitions to achieve the President's strategic goals.
Conversely, the reality on the ground points to a different picture. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kane, raised the issue of the dwindling inventory again in recent discussions at the White House. The US military has used almost all of its precision, long-range weapons, including ATACMS and PrSM systems. At the same time, about half of the Tomahawk missile inventory has been completely exhausted. Officials warn that the shortage not only ties the hands of the US against Iran in the long term, but also critically harms its readiness for a possible future confrontation with China or Russia.
Years of production to fill the gaps
While the inventory is being depleted, the replenishment rate of the American defense industries is significantly slower than desired. The Pentagon currently receives, according to current budget forecasts, only about 15 Tomahawk missiles and 20 Patriot missiles per month. The CSIS center estimates that it will take more than three years to restore THAAD system stockpiles to their pre-war levels.
Although the Department of Defense has accelerated agreements with arms manufacturers in recent months to increase the production of rocket motors for Patriot and THAAD missiles, it will take a long time before American ammunition warehouses are filled again. Meanwhile, President Trump attacked the leadership in Iran on social media, calling it "horribly hypocritical," and emphasized that this is Tehran's "last chance" to sign a ceasefire agreement, while making it clear that he is not in a hurry because he is not running for another term.
