Iran’s missile barrage tests US interceptor limits in escalating war
US B-2 bombers and F/A-18s have been pummeling Iran's southern missile belt, but the IRGC is believed to have far more attack drones in store than ballistic missiles.
WASHINGTON — As US and Israeli strikes in Iran stretched into a fifth day, analysts and former American officials say that a growing shortage of US missile interceptors may determine the duration of the war’s initial phase.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday, President Donald Trump denied any such shortage, saying the US has “massive amounts of ammunition,” including “an unlimited supply” of what he called “middle and upper ammunition, which is what we’re using in this war.”
The president’s comments appeared to refer to American offensive weaponry — laser- and GPS-guided bombs and the like, sources familiar with the Pentagon’s inventories told Al-Monitor.
Yet the same is not true for defensive munitions, one current and two former US defense officials said. That has raised concerns that the US' interceptor stockpile could be depleted before Iran’s missile launch capabilities are destroyed.
