The U.S. Army has used up nearly 80% of its interceptors for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system, CNN reported Tuesday.
Senior U.S. military officials also warned that Pentagon ammunition reserves are dangerously low, according to multiple sources cited by the network.
The Army has consumed close to four-fifths of its THAAD inventory compared with pre-war levels, and nearly half of its Patriot interceptors since the war with Iran began on February 28, CNN reported.
Interceptor stockpiles
Before the conflict, the United States had about 2,200 Patriot missiles, from the two most modernized variants of the platform, and 452 THAAD missiles in its arsenal, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
THAAD is a mobile ballistic missile defense system the U.S. Army has used since 2008 to protect large areas from enemy ballistic missiles.
This is not the first time experts and military officials have raised concerns about the cost of the war in Iran. In March, the Pentagon voiced alarm over the heavy use of Tomahawk missiles, more than 850 fired in the first weeks of the conflict, amid a shortage of that weaponry.
Trump's warning to Iran
The war in Iran has lasted more than five months and has become one of the main concerns for President Donald Trump's administration.
After several failed attempts to reach an agreement with Iran, Trump said Monday that the current negotiations represent Tehran's last opportunity to sign a good deal to end the war. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he said the talks were happening at Iran's request, backed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other countries, and that everyone wanted to give the process one last chance. He said that if a deal does not happen, there will be no more opportunities.
The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 to end the war and open a two-month peace process, but cross-border attacks resumed. Tehran then declared the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed, prompting Trump to order the reimposition of a naval blockade on Iran's coast.
