The war between the United States and Iran, shortly after reigniting, has taken a break for now after President Donald Trump did not reportedly give greenlight for strikes on Iran after 13 days of everyday attacks. While he said that he is open to diplomacy to resolve the tensions and maintained that US could any time start striking again, the move also comes amid growing concerns over US military’s munition stockpiles.
The major military operation planned for Friday was put on hold as officials discussed the impact of shrinking stocks of Patriot, an interceptor missile, and other such munitions, The Wall Street Journal reported citing US officials familiar with the matter.
They added that the situation remains tense and a strike on Iran could still be ordered anytime.
Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffs, has informed the While House that the air defense interceptors are low on inventory, the officials said.
However, Adm. Brad Cooper, the leader of the US Central Command, believes that low munitions would not be problem as a large-scale attack on Iran would hit its ability to conduct air strikes, the officials added, according to the report.
Spokesperson for Gen. Dan Caine and Central Command did not comment on the matter.
However, the US President dismissed the concerns over munition stockpile and told the WSJ that “we have far more munitions than anyone in the world, and far more than we need.”
On Friday, after the US halted strikes on Iran, Trump told reporters, “There’s a military exit where we just keep going just the way we are, and we can even make it a heavier dose, and it’s knocking out everything they have. Or there’s a smarter strategy that you make a deal. And they want to make a deal.”
How many interceptor does US have?
Even as the US President said that they have more than enough munitions, the White House raised national security concerns if the updated figures of Patriot and Thaad missile expenditure since the war with Iran started are reported.
According to a report released in April by the think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies by Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel, and Chris Park, a research associate, the heavy use of munitions in the war with Iran and the shrinking stockpiles “have created a near-term risk”.
“A war against a capable peer competitor like China will consume munitions at greater rates than in this war,” the report said.
Now, in an updated assessment, the authors said that at least 1,500 Patriot interceptors have been used in the war till now, which means that the US now has less than 1,000 of them. They made the remarks on Sunday in a interview, according to the report.
Along with the US, the Gulf states have also used a big chunk of their antimissile interceptors in mounting concern for the Pentagon, said some US officials.
However, White House and Pentagon have maintained that if Trump chooses to order an attack, the military has everything it needs.
