An extended US military campaign in Iran could be constrained by a munitions shortage.
The Pentagon is racing to replenish its stocks of interceptors to thwart Tehran’s aerial retaliation of missile and drone attacks, but “we’re using them faster than we can replace them,” one analyst told The Wall Street Journal. Fighting off Iran’s proxies in the Middle East has already eaten into the US’ air-defense weapon supplies in the region, and while Israel’s involvement has eased the strain, it is also rapidly using up its own stockpiles.
The US’ top military general reportedly warned before the attack began that any Iranian operation would be more difficult than Washington’s intervention in Venezuela, noting that weapons stockpiles could be a crucial limiting factor.