Washington: With the conflict between the United States and Iran entering its fifth day, officials at the Pentagon have warned that a prolonged war could strain America’s key missile stockpiles.
The fighting began after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, citing Tehran’s refusal to cooperate in nuclear-related talks. Reports said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior commanders were killed in the attacks.
In retaliation, Iran has been targeting US military bases in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates using missiles and drones. While President Donald Trump had said the war could last four to five weeks and that the US had sufficient weapons reserves, officials are now said to be cautioning that shortages could emerge much sooner.
According to US officials, if the war continues for another 10 days, stocks of key interceptor missiles—used to stop incoming enemy missiles—could fall, making it harder to block Iranian strikes. They also pointed to already-reduced inventories due to military assistance provided to allies such as Israel and Ukraine, and noted that Iran’s missile production rate far exceeds US output of interceptor missiles.
Amid concerns that precision-guided munitions are being depleted as strikes intensify, the White House is expected to hold urgent consultations with major defence manufacturers, including Lockheed Martin, RTX and Boeing.
