Iran’s strikes draining US ammunition supplies to ‘dangerous lows’

The United States military has depleted nearly 80 percent of its THAAD air defence missile stockpiles and roughly half of its Patriot missile inventory, according to Iranian assessments of the ongoing conflict in the region. The rapid consumption of these critical defence systems has raised concerns about the sustainability of American military operations and the ability to respond to further Iranian aggression.

THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence) and Patriot missiles form the backbone of US air defence capabilities, particularly in the Middle East where American forces and allied nations face persistent threats from Iranian-backed forces. The depletion of these reserves represents a significant logistical challenge, as manufacturing and deployment of replacement systems takes considerable time.

Iranian officials argue that the erosion of American ammunition stocks has created what they describe as a “dangerous low point” in US defensive capabilities. This assessment suggests that further Iranian strikes could potentially overwhelm remaining air defences and expose American allies in the region to retaliatory attacks without adequate protection.

The situation highlights the strain that sustained regional tensions have placed on American military resources. Military analysts have previously warned that the scale of recent exchanges in the Middle East has accelerated the use of expensive, difficult-to-replace defence systems at rates that stretch supply chains and budgetary allocations. US defence manufacturers have faced pressure to increase production capacity to meet these demands.

Source: Maariv — Original article in Hebrew.