As the war in Iran continues, the U.S. Military is running out of munitions, limiting the options available both in the Middle East and in the Indo-Pacific. Katherine Thompson, a senior fellow in defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, details these issues:

“Concerns over munitions shortages and implications for U.S. readiness and optionality have certainly been exacerbated by the Iran war, but should not be treated as a new revelation. The President and other senior administration officials are right to underscore the inherited nature of the problem given the large-scale drawdowns directly from U.S. stockpiles to arm Ukraine from 2022–2024 and the lack of a timely and viable plan for replenishment. But the administration cannot escape from the fact that the choice to go to war with Iran not only made the known, inherited problem worse but also substantially increased risk by limiting optionality in higher priority theaters like the Indo-Pacific.

“Moreover, throwing more money at the problem is not a long-term solution. While some administration moves to increase production and remove red tape barriers are strong steps, these changes are coming too late and are unlikely to radically accelerate delivery timelines. Long-term solvency will require increased discipline from the executive branch and Congress, recognizing the U.S. war chest is not immune from scarcity and tradeoffs.”

To speak with Thompson, contact Christopher Tarvardian.