Missiles to munitions: Does the US risk running out of key weapons?
Key takeaways
- While US officials publicly project confidence in weapons stockpiles, analysts say dwindling munitions may be shaping Washington’s calculations over whether to resume the war on Iran.
- “Right now we’re doing a pause,” said Cao, “in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury – which we have plenty.”
- By contrast, Israel fired fewer than 100 Arrow interceptors and about 90 David’s Sling interceptors.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
While US officials publicly project confidence in weapons stockpiles, analysts say dwindling munitions may be shaping Washington’s calculations over whether to resume the war on Iran.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo A B‑1B Lancer military aircraft parked on the tarmac at RAF Fairford airbase, which hosts United States Air Force (USAF) personnel, amid a ceasefire between the US and Iran, in Fairford, UK [File: Hannah Mc Kay/Reuters]By Urooba Jamal Published On 23 May 202623 May 2026On Thursday, the acting United States Navy secretary, Hung Cao, was asked by a Senate committee about $14bn in weapons sales to Taiwan that Congress has approved but that President Donald Trump needs to sign off on.
“Right now we’re doing a pause,” said Cao, “in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury – which we have plenty.”