The U.S. Consumes a Large Amount of Military Stockpiles for the Iran Conflict, Hindering Weapon Deliveries to European Countries

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 2 - The U.S. State Department announced on the 1st that it has approved the sale of military equipment worth over $8.6 billion to several Middle Eastern countries, including Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait. However, informed sources revealed that due to the significant consumption of U.S. munitions stockpiles in the Iran conflict, the U.S. has informed European allies such as the UK, Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia that deliveries of military sales may face long delays.

On the 1st, the U.S. State Department released multiple announcements detailing military sales contracts to several Middle Eastern countries. Among them, Israel will purchase 10,000 sets of "Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems" and related equipment, estimated at $992.4 million; Kuwait will purchase a "Comprehensive Warfare Command System" and related equipment, estimated at $2.5 billion; Qatar will purchase 10,000 sets of "Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems" and related equipment, as well as supply services and related equipment for the "Patriot" missile defense system, estimated at approximately $5 billion; the UAE will purchase "Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems" and related equipment, estimated at $147.6 million.

The U.S. State Department stated that the Secretary of State determined that an emergency exists, necessitating the immediate sale of defense materials and services to the aforementioned four countries, which aligns with U.S. national security interests. Under the amended Arms Export Control Act, the relevant transactions can be exempted from congressional review.

The Financial Times reported on the 1st, citing multiple informed sources, that the Pentagon has informed European countries such as the UK, Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia that deliveries of several missile systems will face significant delays.

Reports indicate that the delay in military sales deliveries will affect the supply of ammunition for the U.S. High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), the "National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System," and other missile systems.

The Pentagon stated that it is "carefully assessing new weapon procurement requests from partners and the status of existing weapon deliveries to ensure alignment with operational needs," and declined to provide further information citing the "sensitivity" of the matter.

The U.S. delay in weapon deliveries to European countries comes at a time of increasing tension in transatlantic relations. U.S. President Trump previously criticized European allies for not taking more action to assist the U.S. in taking military action against Iran. The aforementioned informed sources said that the U.S. delay in weapon deliveries is not intended to "punish" Europe, but is due to serious concerns about its own stockpiles.

In the past two months, the U.S. has consumed a large amount of weapons and ammunition in the Iran conflict. Tom Wright, a former government official during President Biden's administration and currently at the Brookings Institution, stated that the U.S. may have to engage in a long-term war in the Middle East, "and it is very willing to sacrifice Europe (allies) for this," emphasizing that Europe needs to rapidly rebuild its defense industrial base.

On the 1st, Trump refuted claims about a critical shortage in U.S. munitions stockpiles, stating, "We have stockpiles all over the world, and if needed, we can mobilize them."

However, the Financial Times reported that U.S. defense contractors are competing to increase the production of key weapons, including "Patriot" interceptors. As order deliveries typically take years, U.S. weapons stockpiles will continue to remain tight.

Recent internal assessments by the U.S. Department of Defense and external evaluations have shown that the stockpiles of key U.S. military munitions have been significantly consumed in the Iran conflict, with several missile models having used up about half of their quantities, and the replenishment rate is expected to be slow, making it difficult to fill the gaps within several years. (Liu Xi)