The US military has significantly depleted its stockpile of essential missiles during the war with Iran. If another conflict breaks out in the coming years, the US could run out of ammunition.
This was told to CNN by sources familiar with the latest Pentagon stockpile estimates.
In the past seven weeks of the war, the US military has used up at least 45% of its stockpile of precision-guided missiles and at least half of its THAAD and Patriot interceptor missiles, according to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. These figures are almost identical to the Pentagon’s own classified stockpile data, the sources said.
CNN sources also say that the Americans have used up about 30% of their Tomahawk missiles, more than 20% of their long-range air-to-surface missiles, and almost 20% of their SM-3 and SM-6 missiles. It will take about four to five years to replenish these stocks.
The estimates of depleted stockpiles stand in stark contrast to recent statements by President Donald Trump that the US is not experiencing a shortage of weapons — even as he himself has requested additional funding for missiles due to the war with Iran.
In a comment to reporters, Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said that the military "has everything necessary to carry out the instructions at the time and place chosen by the president".
War in the Middle East and negotiations between Iran and the US
On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. These attacks killed Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and almost the entire military leadership of the country — about 40 key high-ranking officials.
Iran, in response to the US and Israeli attacks, began shelling Arab countries and Israel. The war also halted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea corridor between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean. It was through it that almost a fifth of the worldʼs oil exports passed — tens of millions of barrels a day.
On April 8, the parties agreed to a two-week ceasefire. On April 13, the United States began a naval blockade of Iranian ports, demanding the complete unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz for all ships.
On April 17, Lebanon and Israel agreed to a ceasefire, after which Iran unblocked the Strait of Hormuz. However, on April 18, Iran announced that it was again blocking the Strait of Hormuz due to the US naval blockade. On the same day , Iran fired on several ships attempting to pass through the strait.
On April 19, Donald Trump announced that his representatives would travel to Pakistan for talks. But Iran refused to send a delegation. On April 21, Trump extended the ceasefire until the Iranians submitted their proposals and concluded the discussions.
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