US Missile Stocks Drained in War on Iran

By Staff, Agencies

Defense experts and sources familiar with Pentagon assessments said the US military has significantly depleted its critical missile arsenal following a seven-week campaign against Iran, creating a “near-term risk” of ammunition shortages in future major conflicts.

The depletion is linked to the US-“Israeli” war on Iran, which involved extensive strikes on infrastructure across the country.

A new analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies [CSIS] revealed that US forces used at least 45% of Precision Strike Missiles, over half of THAAD interceptors, and nearly 50% of Patriot air defense missiles during the campaign.

These figures closely align with classified Pentagon data, according to three individuals familiar with the assessments.

The US military has also burned through approximately 30% of its Tomahawk cruise missiles, over 20% of its long-range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles [JASSMs], and between 10% and 20% of its SM-3 and SM-6 missiles.

While the Pentagon has signed contracts to expand missile production, delivery timelines stretch three to five years — even with increased capacity.

Retired US Marine Corps Colonel Mark Cancian, a co-author of the CSIS report, warned that the aggressive campaign has opened a “window of increased vulnerability,” particularly in the western Pacific, where stockpiles are now insufficient to confront a near-peer adversary such as China.

Rebuilding depleted inventories to pre-war levels, the report concludes, will take one to four years, with additional years required to reach adequate levels for a potential conflict in the Pacific.

“Even before the Iran war, stockpiles were deemed insufficient for a peer competitor fight. That shortfall is now even more acute,” the authors wrote.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell dismissed concerns, saying the US has “everything it needs,” despite Trump’s push for emergency missile funding.

The scale of missile depletion highlights the cost of the US-"Israeli" war of terrorism on Iran, with prior warnings from military leaders and growing concern in Congress over how to resupply key air defense munitions.

The CSIS analysis notes that the Trump administration’s recent agreements with arms contractors to quadruple “exquisite class” weaponry will take years to materialize.

Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst announced plans for expanded multi-year contracts as part of Trump’s $1.5 trillion military budget request, but analysts warn that even under optimistic scenarios, restoring depleted arsenals after the savage campaign against Iran will require many years.