US Senator: Iran War Has “Shockingly” Drained American Munitions Stockpiles

By Staff, Agencies

Democratic Senator Mark Kelly has warned that the United States has depleted its weapons stockpiles to alarming levels during the war with Iran, raising concerns about the country’s preparedness for future conflicts.

Speaking Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation, Kelly said Pentagon briefings on key munitions systems—including Tomahawk cruise missiles, ATACMS, SM-3 interceptors, THAAD systems and Patriot missile rounds—revealed the extent of the depletion.

“I think it’s fair to say it’s shocking how deep we have gone into these magazines,” Kelly said.

He criticized President Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict, arguing that the administration entered the war without a clear strategic objective, timeline, or long-term plan.

“This president got our country into this without a strategic goal, without a plan, without a timeline,” Kelly stated, adding that the heavy use of munitions has weakened US military readiness.

According to Kelly, the situation could leave the United States vulnerable in the event of another major conflict, including a potential confrontation with China in the western Pacific.

“The American people are less safe,” he said, warning that replacing some advanced munitions could take years and that US capabilities would be strained if a future war extended over months or years.

CBS previously reported that the war has already cost the United States at least $50 billion.

When asked about the possibility of defending Taiwan against China, Kelly emphasized that the duration of any future conflict would be a critical factor.

“If it goes on for months or years, of course we’re going to be in a worse posture than we otherwise would be if this war in Iran didn’t happen,” he said.

Kelly also rejected claims that confrontation with Iran was unavoidable, blaming Trump’s withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] nuclear agreement for escalating tensions and contributing to the current crisis.

In addition, the senator criticized the administration’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget, particularly the “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative, which he described as technologically unrealistic.

“The physics on that stuff is really, really hard,” Kelly said. “I’m very confident we’re going to spend a lot of money and get a system that doesn’t work.”

The United States and “Israel” launched military operations against Iran on February 28, targeting nuclear facilities and other sites across the country.

Iran responded with what it called Operation Truthful Promise 4, carrying out around 100 waves of missile and drone strikes against US bases in West Asia and “Israeli” positions.

Although a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire has remained in place since early April, tensions persist as the US naval blockade on Iranian ports continues.