Iran war strains U.S. stockpiles as Europe braces for arms delays
Donald Trump (Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard)
The United States has warned European allies that deliveries
of American weapons could face lengthy delays as the war against Iran depletes
U.S. stockpiles, the Financial
Times reported.
The United Kingdom, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia are among
the countries that received the warnings, the newspaper reported. Washington is
also assessing the risk of delayed deliveries to partners in Asia.
The delays are not political “punishment” for allies, but
the result of a real weapons shortage. Over the past two months, the United
States has used large amounts of ammunition in the war against Iran, forcing
the Pentagon to pull some stockpiles from other regions, including the
Indo-Pacific.
That has sharpened concerns in Washington over whether the
United States can support allies, sustain operations in the Middle East and
preserve enough reserves for a potential conflict with China over Taiwan.
The delays could affect ammunition for HIMARS, NASAMS and
other systems, the FT reported. The Pentagon said it is closely reviewing new
requests from partners and already approved weapons transfers to ensure they
match current U.S. operational needs.
For Ukraine, the situation adds new risks as Russia
continues its attacks. A senior Ukrainian official told the FT that U.S.
weapons shipments to Kyiv began facing delays after the start of the U.S. war
with Iran.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously said delays in
missile deliveries sometimes create critical situations in which Patriot
batteries run out of ammunition during Russian missile attacks.
The problem extends beyond Europe. U.S. allies in Asia,
including Japan and South Korea, also rely on American systems, including
Patriot. Slower deliveries could affect their defense capabilities as well.
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