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Stockpiles shape strike plans
CNN Arabic says sources told it that the U.S. military has exhausted about 80% of the intercept missiles for a major missile-defense system, while senior American military leaders warn that the Pentagon's ammunition stockpile is dangerously low.
“exhausted about 80% of the intercept missiles”
CNN Arabic reports that stocks of the main air-defense systems were particularly depleted during the war on Iran, with the U.S. military using about four-fifths of the THAAD stockpile compared with prewar levels and about half of Patriot interceptors since the start of the war.
CNN Arabic adds that CSIS estimates the United States had about 2,200 Patriot missiles and 452 THAAD missiles in stock before the Iran war began.
CNN Arabic also says the stock issue resurfaced ahead of Trump's decision late last week to cancel the new strikes on Iran, marking at least the second time in recent weeks that Trump's top military advisers expressed concern about dwindling inventories of major munitions during discussions of possible escalation with Iran.
Hegseth go-ahead, then backtrack
CNN Arabic says Trump planned on Friday to proceed with broad strikes and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was given the final go-ahead to proceed on Friday, according to a senior official in the Trump administration.
CNN Arabic reports that Trump decided to back down after talks with Middle East allies on Saturday, who told him of their fears about Iranian retaliation, specifically attacks on their energy infrastructure.
CNN Arabic quotes Pentagon spokesman Sean Barnicle saying: "The U.S. military is the strongest in the world, and has everything needed to execute at the time and place chosen by the President."
CNN Arabic also quotes White House spokeswoman Anna Kelley saying: "the U.S. military has enough ammunition and stockpiles to meet all of President Trump’s strategic objectives, and more."
Israel coordination and interceptor counts
Mیدل ایست نیوز says Israeli security sources expressed concern about how Trump handled the confrontation with Tehran after he canceled a major strike on Iran at the last moment without prior coordination.
“Trump is handling the confrontation with Tehran”
Mیدل ایست نیوز reports that Channel 13 suggested the possibility of a shortage in the stock of interceptor missiles, citing a warning by the commander of U.S. European Command that the army's stock of interceptor missiles is not enough to protect both American assets and Israel.
Mیدل ایست نیوز states that the stock consisted of 2,330 Patriot missiles and 452 THAAD missiles, but after about 45 days of fighting only about 1,030 Patriot missiles remained and between 232 and 262 THAAD missiles remained.
Mیدل ایست نیوز adds that Channel 13 said current estimates today show only between 234 and 278 THAAD missiles, describing these figures as the total number of interceptor missiles the United States possesses worldwide.
