Iran War Has Depleted "Virtually All" Of US' Missile Interceptors
Xtreme News India
05-08-2026 19:11:39
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Iran War Has Depleted "Virtually All" Of US' Missile Interceptors
Washington (Warta) - The war in Iran has reportedly left the United States' stockpile of interceptors for a key missile defence system "dangerously low." The US military has exhausted nearly 80 per cent of its interceptors for the THAAD anti-ballistic missile defence system compared to pre-war inventory and about 50 per cent of its Patriot interceptors since the start of the war, according to a report by CNN.
The US Army has also used "virtually all" of its highly accurate long-range, surface-to-air weapons during the war, the report said. An earlier report said the US military had used nearly 30 per cent of its Tomahawks during the early stages of the war in April.
Citing sources, the American broadcaster reported that the depleting defence ammunition was one of the reasons advisers convinced US President Donald Trump to hold off on a planned major strike against Iran over the weekend. The White House has, meanwhile, asserted that Trump held off the attack due to pressure from Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia. According to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies' estimates, before the war in Iran started, US forces had around 2,200 Patriots (of the platform's two most-modernised variants) and 452 THAAD missiles in its stockpile.
The US Army has also used "virtually all" of its highly accurate long-range, surface-to-air weapons during the war, the report said. Reuters has also reported on specific concerns about US stockpiles of long-range precision missiles.
Sources told CNN that during their call with Trump regarding the escalation of attacks on Iran, Gulf allies raised fresh concerns about how a shortage of air defence systems could impact their ability to ward off potential Iranian retaliation. Most of the Middle Eastern nations with US bases rely on US air defence systems and have acknowledged the stockpile shortage could hinder their own ability to intercept incoming Iranian missile and drone attacks -- particularly if they are targeted in response to any American escalation, multiple officials said.
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