Iran war: US may face tough missile defence choices as Gulf conflict depletes stockpiles, top commander says

Washington, DC: A top American military commander stationed in Europe has cautioned the Pentagon that Washington may soon confront hard decisions on missile defence resources as the ongoing conflict with Iran continues to place heavy pressure on American military stockpiles.

The development was reported by The Washington Post, which noted that the chief of US European Command, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, informed Pentagon officials earlier this week that the United States lacks adequate naval assets to continue intercepting Iranian ballistic missile strikes on Israel.

The account emerges against a backdrop of mounting concerns about the depletion of advanced US interceptor missiles after months of military activity in the Middle East.


According to The Washington Post, Gen. Grynkewich cautioned that, without the deployment of another US Navy destroyer to the region, European Command would eventually be forced to decide between protecting American interests and sustaining missile defence operations for Israel against Iranian attacks.

The Pentagon declined to comment on the report. US European Command did not respond to requests for comment, while an Israeli embassy spokesperson in Washington could not immediately be reached, the publication reported.

Concerns about shrinking missile stocks have arisen before.

The New York Times reported earlier this month that one of the principal reasons President Donald Trump chose to halt strikes on Iran was the risk of sharply depleting US air defence supplies positioned across the Middle East.

That report stated Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, advised that, although widening military operations against Iran remained possible from an operational standpoint, such a course could critically reduce the interceptor missile stocks available to US Central Command.

An internal Department of War assessment cited by CNN found that the military has significantly drawn down several classes of precision-guided missiles during the war with Iran, creating what officials described as a "near-term risk" should another major conflict arise in the years ahead.

CNN, citing sources familiar with the assessment and defence experts, reported that replenishing many of these systems could require several years.

An analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, cited by CNN, estimated that the US military has expended large shares of its advanced missile inventory over the past seven weeks of fighting.

The analysis estimates that the United States has used about 45 per cent of its Precision Strike Missile inventory, at least half of its THAAD interceptor missiles, around 50 per cent of its Patriot interceptor missiles, roughly 30 per cent of its Tomahawk cruise missile stockpile, more than 20 per cent of its Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles, and approximately 20 per cent of its SM-3 and SM-6 interceptor missiles.

The Washington Post further revealed that the United States has fired substantially more advanced interceptor missiles in defence of Israel against Iranian ballistic missile attacks than Israel itself has used during the conflict.

The report highlights the growing logistical and strategic challenge facing Washington as it seeks to support regional allies while preserving sufficient missile stocks for possible future contingencies.