US Arms Stockpiles Strained by Iran War, Ukraine Support at Risk

At a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Ranking Member Senator Jeanne Shaheen said the pace of weapons consumption has exposed serious gaps in planning and strategy.

"Last Thursday, almost three weeks into this war against Iran, the Administration pushed through more than 16 billion dollars in arms sales to the Middle East... using emergency authority to bypass normal Congressional review," she said.

Shaheen described the situation as a "munitions and weapons" emergency, warning that US reserves are being depleted rapidly. "In some cases, we have only about a quarter of the interceptors we need," she said, adding that it remains "not clear what the end goal of the war in Iran is."

The strain is already affecting other conflicts. "US support has become less predictable, and allies are increasingly stepping in to purchase or backfill American-made arms," she said, referring to Ukraine.

Shaheen said that "over 80 per cent of their strikes are now carried out by drones," highlighting a shift toward "autonomous systems and drone swarms." However, she cautioned, "the support that we have in the US is not keeping pace."

Recent reports have also flagged concerns that US stockpiles of advanced missile defence systems are being rapidly depleted, raising questions about America's ability to sustain multiple conflicts simultaneously.

Committee Chairman Senator Jim Risch defended the administration's approach, framing the Iran conflict within a broader strategic challenge.

"The military action in the Middle East has highlighted what the United States must do to protect the American people from the imminent threat of an adversary," he said.

Risch warned that the world has entered a "multipolar nuclear landscape," where the US faces "two nuclear near peer competitors in Russia and China" alongside "rogue states with nuclear ambitions."

He argued that older arms control frameworks are no longer sufficient. "Nuclear agreements of days gone by no longer meet the needs of our nation," he said, adding that "if our adversaries are building nuclear stockpiles, we unfortunately must do so as well."

Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno told lawmakers the administration is pursuing "verifiable and enforceable arms control agreements that enhance American national security."

He defended the shift away from legacy agreements, calling the New START treaty "a vestige of a security environment totally disconnected from the realities of today," particularly for failing to address China's nuclear expansion.

Lawmakers from both parties expressed concern over the collapse of arms control mechanisms. Shaheen warned that "talks on future arms control arrangements have stalled," adding that China's refusal to participate effectively blocks progress.

She also pointed to rising risks from Russia, including deployment of tactical nuclear weapons closer to NATO and testing of new systems that are harder to track.

At the same time, China is "constructing more than 300 new missile silos" and expanding its arsenal "with little transparency," she said.

The hearing comes amid intensifying global tensions following US military operations against Iran, which have significantly increased demand for high-end munitions and missile defence systems.

- IANS