The Pentagon has acknowledged publicly for the first time that the US military is facing a shortage of munitions, and has linked it to the war in Iran, according to reports from several French outlets. Le HuffPost reported on Tuesday that Washington had finally conceded the strain the conflict has placed on its weapons stockpiles.
Le Monde reported that this marks the first time the Pentagon has recognised a munitions shortage affecting the US army as a result of the Iran war. Le Nouvel Obs said the admission came despite pressure from Trump, while franceinfo and Yahoo Actualités both reported that the US military says it is dealing with a shortage of ammunition connected to the war with Iran.
The reports did not include figures for how far stockpiles have fallen, nor a timeline for replenishing them. No details were given on which categories of munitions are most affected.
The acknowledgement follows repeated questioning of US officials over the cost of the campaign in both equipment and supplies. Until now, the Pentagon had not confirmed such shortages in public statements, according to the French coverage.
What to watch next is whether the Pentagon provides specifics on the scale of the shortfall and how it intends to restock, and whether the admission prompts scrutiny from lawmakers in Washington.
