The US military has used up nearly 80% of its interceptors for a key missile defence system with senior commanders warning that the Pentagon's munitions stockpile is now dangerously low.
Stockpiles of key air defence systems have been particularly depleted during the war with Iran, with the US military having used almost four-fifths of its THAAD missile inventory and roughly half its Patriot interceptors since fighting began, CNN reported, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.
The low THAAD numbers had not been previously disclosed. The Centre for Strategic and International Studies had estimated Washington held around 2,200 Patriots and 452 THAAD missiles before the war started.
Gulf allies have also raised concerns that the shortage could hamper their own ability to intercept Iranian retaliation should US President Donald Trump choose to escalate the conflict further, CNN said.
The stockpile issue was reportedly raised again ahead of Trump's decision last weekend to call off planned strikes on Iran, after Gulf states warned they feared retaliatory attacks on their energy infrastructure. Trump has not ruled out ordering strikes at a future date, according to a senior official cited by the broadcaster.
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Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell pushed back on the reporting, telling CNN "America's military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President's choosing."
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly similarly said the US had more than enough munitions and stockpiles to meet Trump's objectives, pointing to increased domestic weapons production.
One source familiar with the stockpile concerns reportedly cautioned that depleted interceptor supplies could leave conventional defences vulnerable if drone swarms got through in large numbers.
The Pentagon is currently replenishing at roughly 15 Tomahawks and 20 Patriot missiles a month, with CSIS estimating THAAD stocks alone could take three years or more to rebuild to pre-war levels, according to the report.
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