Sustained war with Iran could drain US missile stockpiles, test escalation control

U.S. officials say America can execute limited military strikes against Iran but faces severe missile defense shortages from Ukraine and Middle East operations.

Sustaining operations beyond the initial window presents a more complex challenge — one shaped by a "zero-sum" competition for missile defense inventories between the Middle East and Europe.

Officials and analysts warn that certain U.S. missile and air-defense interceptor inventories have been severely drawn down by the relentless pace of recent operations. The strategic dilemma for the Pentagon is that the systems required to shield U.S. bases from Iranian retaliation are the same ones being depleted by the defense of Ukraine and the ongoing protection of Israel.