🔸 A report on a shortage of U.S. interceptor missiles in the war with Iran

🔸 A report on a shortage of U.S. interceptor missiles in the war with Iran

According to a report by The New York Times, during the Iran-U.S. war, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has attempted to wear down U.S. air-defense systems by using combined waves of drones and missiles, forcing Washington to spend scarce and expensive interceptor missiles.

The New York Times reported that in five days in June, Iran launched waves of drones and missiles toward U.S. forces at three bases in Jordan.

As the newspaper wrote, the goal of these attacks was to pressure U.S. air-defense systems and create a situation in which Washington would be compelled to use a large number of its Patriot interceptors.

Based on the report, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps used missiles that could abruptly change their course.

This feature made their interception more difficult, and it forced U.S. forces to use more interceptor missiles.

The New York Times wrote that, as the war continued, Iran acted more tactically and learned how to get past U.S. air-defense systems.

On July 17, an Iranian attack hit a residential unit at an American base in Jordan. According to the released report, three American soldiers were killed in the attack.

U.S. Central Command, CENTCOM, announced in a statement on July 18 that two American service members were killed in Jordan while countering Iran’s ballistic and drone missile attacks, and that another service member is missing.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in response to the attack, told The New York Times: “We shot down almost all of the missiles; one of them got through.”

At the same time as pressure from Iranian attacks increased, reports pointed to a sharp drop in important U.S. air-defense ammunition stocks. The New York Times, citing a source, reported that the Pentagon has fewer than 1,700 Patriot interceptor missiles at its disposal.

According to Reuters, the U.S. Army has used almost all of its highly precise long-range missiles in the five-month war with Iran.

Based on reports, between February and July the United States used about 65% of its Patriot interceptor missiles. These air-defense missiles played a key role in defending U.S. bases and forces against Iranian missile and drone attacks.

In response to questions about the status of U.S. weapons stocks, the White House issued a statement from Donald Trump.

In that statement, Trump said the United States “has much more ammunition than any other country in the world,” and that this amount is “far more than what Washington needs.”

He also said that U.S. defense companies are now producing ammunition more than at any time before, and that they are expanding their factories and equipment at an unprecedented pace.

Reuters’ report says the ammunition shortage is not limited to the Iran-U.S. war.

According to the report, U.S. Army tactical missile stocks, ATACMS, which Ukraine also needs, have decreased to such an extent that practically nothing remains of them.

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