The United States has depleted virtually all of its long-range precision missiles while waging war with Iran, Reuters reported on the 4th, citing multiple sources. Concerns are emerging that this could limit US capabilities to deter China and Russia going forward. Senior US officials signaled that the Strait of Hormuz would open soon, but declined to give a firm answer on whether a "fee" would be imposed.
Reuters, citing three sources, reported that "the United States has consumed a significant portion of the high-precision, long-range missiles it had stockpiled worldwide through its war with Iran." Specifically, the depleted weapons are the surface-to-surface Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM). Two sources told Reuters that "the United States has used virtually all of these weapons."
These weapons cost more than $1 million (about 1.4 billion won) each and, because they fire long-range missiles from ground to ground, allow forces to strike enemies without taking on the risk of sending fighter jets to attack directly. The ATACMS supplied by the US military played a key role in the war in Ukraine, striking Russian targets. The PrSM is a next-generation, high-performance missile designed to replace the ATACMS.
In response to Reuters' request for comment, the White House said in a statement issued under the name of US President Donald Trump that "the United States holds more munitions than any country in the world needs," and that "defense contractors are now producing more ammunition than ever and expanding factories and equipment to record levels." However, Reuters, citing experts, noted that "while various missiles and other munitions are currently being produced at record levels, this may fall short of the volume needed for a prolonged war."
With US stocks of long-range precision missiles depleted, if the United States resumes large-scale attacks on Iran in the future, it appears the US would have to take on risks such as deploying fighter jets. Given that Americans are highly sensitive to US military casualties, some assess that the United States has exhausted its capacity for a large-scale offensive. In addition, the three sources told Reuters they were concerned that "the decline in missile stocks could limit the US ability to deter adversaries such as Russia and China."
The problem of dwindling US military ammunition has been raised continuously since the war broke out. The Washington, D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) recently analyzed that during the Iran war, US stocks of Patriot interceptor missiles and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles have only 35-40% remaining. There were also reports that the US military warned President Trump that interceptor missile stocks were dwindling, after which President Trump canceled a large-scale attack on Iran. Of course, President Trump said he canceled the attack at the request of Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia.
Reuters, citing one source, reported that "since the war broke out, the US military has also consumed nearly half of its Tomahawk cruise missiles." The Tomahawk is launched from ships and is a major offensive weapon for striking enemy targets without risk to US forces.
Meanwhile, senior officials in the Trump administration have successively signaled that an agreement with Iran on opening the Strait of Hormuz would be reached. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that "while pursuing long-term negotiations on denuclearization, in the short term there are ongoing talks and negotiations between Oman and Iran, in which we are engaged, regarding ways for more vessels to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz." He added, "The negotiations have made progress but have not yet reached a final agreement," and "we hope an agreement will be reached soon." Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said in a CNBC interview that "an agreement to open the strait and steer the conflict toward a more normal phase could be reached today or tomorrow." However, when asked whether a toll would be imposed, he did not give a firm answer and replied, "It will be possible to pass through freely."
