WASHINGTON (TNND) — The U.S. pause in strikes against Iran has fueled questions about whether the American military has enough weapons to sustain an offensive campaign while also defending against incoming Iranian fire, as Congress debates billions of dollars in defense spending.
A key issue hanging over the war is whether the U.S. has enough missiles to keep operations going and protect against attacks from Iran. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said interceptor supplies are being strained.
“We have depleted our interceptors, which are the weapons we use to intercept incoming Iranian attacks, which are obviously necessary to protect American troops. And so we are depleting these every day, despite the fact that we could face other potential conflicts around the world,” Van Hollen said to ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday.
CNN reported that Vice President JD Vance and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Dan Caine raised concerns about escalating the war during a White House meeting, with Caine specifically mentioning munitions. President Donald Trump downplayed the concerns Monday.
“We have a lot. We have a lot of ammunition, different types. You know, Biden gave a lot to Ukraine and so we’re building that up, but we have a lot,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
In April, the Center for Strategic and International Studies reported the military had used up half of its prewar inventories in four key munitions used to strike targets or defend against them, and had used a portion of three other missile stockpiles. The analysis said the larger concern may be a potential future war because rebuilding stockpiles can take one to four years.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the Pentagon’s budget request that included billions of dollars for the Iran war to members of Congress last week.
“This request is an urgent necessary injection of resources to address the immediate needs of our department,” Hegseth said.
The reports of dwindling missile supplies come as the Pentagon has urged lawmakers to quickly pass legislation that includes more than $70 billion for the war in Iran on top of annual defense spending.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., argued against a rapid withdrawal while also opposing sending ground forces.
“I don’t think we ought to just cut and run. If we can stand the pain of the rising cost of energy, we need to stay the course at least for a few more months. I also don’t think we need to send in troops,” Kennedy told CBS News.
The Senate faces a tight timeline to advance the spending bills, with about two weeks until a planned August recess that lasts about a month. The bills would be put on hold during that time until mid-September if they’re not passed.