Officially, two months after the start of American strikes against Iran, the plan is still proceeding without a hitch. Under questioning from the House Armed Services Committee on April 29, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth remained deaf to any criticism. “Do you call this a quagmire, which fuels the propaganda of our enemies? What a shame!” he hammered in the face of Democratic opposition, confident in “winning” the war. However, behind the scenes, a different story is emerging within his own administration. Far from the idyllic picture painted by the Defense Secretary, Vice President J.D. Vance reportedly expressed concerns about a possible ammunition “shortage”, as reported by the American magazine The Atlantic two days earlier. This is crucial to stand up to China in the event of a confrontation in the Taiwan Strait.
It must be said that in just eight weeks of operations, Washington has significantly depleted its stocks. Since February 28, American forces have fired over 1,000 long-range Tomahawk and JASSM missiles – between a quarter and a third of their pre-war reserves – according to a recent analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Furthermore, the deficit is even more pronounced for certain crucial defense munitions. From an inventory estimated before the start of the conflict of 360 THAAD anti-aircraft missiles, between 190 and 290 have been used. Additionally, between 1,000 and 1,400 Patriot battery munitions have been used (around 45 to 60% of reserves). We are far from the “virtually unlimited” weapons stocks that Donald Trump had mentioned at the start of hostilities.
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