Experts Warn U.S. Missile Stockpiles Fell Sharply in U.S.-Iran War

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing CNN, experts said U.S. inventories of key munitions have fallen sharply and could drop further if the U.S.-Iran war continues at the recent pace, potentially increasing risks in the Indo-Pacific and affecting U.S. combat readiness for a future conflict with China or North Korea. Mark Cancian, a defense analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said that if the war continues at the pace of the past five days, stockpiles would be significantly reduced. CSIS said the U.S. military expended thousands of missiles early in the conflict and estimated that by the end of full-scale fighting in April, the U.S. had fired at least half of its THAAD interceptors, nearly half of its Patriot interceptors, and about 30% of its Tomahawk cruise missiles; a ceasefire later reduced the rate of missile consumption. Cancian said replenishment is slow, with Pentagon delivery plans calling for about 15 new Tomahawks and 20 new Patriots per month in the current fiscal year, and no THAAD deliveries planned for 2026. The report said President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act in June to remove regulatory obstacles and speed missile production, and the Pentagon has signed agreements with manufacturers to expand production lines, but CSIS estimated restoring stockpiles to prewar levels would take at least three years or longer. Pentagon Chief Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the U.S. military can carry out the president’s missions while maintaining strong reserves to protect U.S. people and interests.