Concerns Raised Over Missile Stockpile Depletion in Ongoing War with Iran

Experts warn of 'war of attrition' as U.S. and allies struggle to defend against Iran's missile and drone attacks.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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As the war between the U.S. and Iran stretches on, some experts are raising concerns about the depletion of U.S. and allied missile defense stockpiles. The conflict has become a 'war of attrition,' with the U.S. and Israel racing to destroy Iran's missile capabilities before their own interceptor missile supplies are exhausted. While President Trump has claimed the U.S. has a 'virtually unlimited supply' of munitions, officials acknowledge certain high-grade missiles are in short supply, particularly Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles used to defend against Iran's ballistic missiles.

Why it matters

The ongoing conflict with Iran has put a significant strain on the U.S. and its allies' missile defense capabilities, raising concerns about the sustainability of the military campaign. If Iran is able to maintain a steady barrage of missile and drone attacks, it could potentially deplete the defender's interceptor stockpiles, shifting the balance of power in the conflict.

The details

Experts warn that the U.S., Israel, and Gulf states are in a 'race' to destroy Iran's missile infrastructure before their own missile defense stockpiles are depleted. While the U.S. has insisted it has ample munitions, officials have acknowledged certain high-grade missiles like THAAD are in short supply. The conflict has already dramatically increased demand for these missiles, with the U.S. estimated to only have enough for about two weeks of fighting at the current rate of use.

  • The U.S. and Israel have been engaged in the current conflict with Iran since February 2026.
  • Iran has maintained a steady barrage of missile and drone attacks over the past 48 hours.

The players

Donald Trump

The President of the United States, who has insisted the U.S. has a 'virtually unlimited supply' of munitions to fight the war with Iran.

Kelly Grieco

A senior fellow at the Stimson Center think tank and former assistant professor at the Air Command and Staff College, who has warned the conflict is becoming a 'war of attrition' for missile defense stockpiles.

Dan Karbler

A retired Lt. Gen. and former commander of the U.S. Space and Missile Defense Command, who has discussed the increased use of short-range air defense missiles to counter Iranian drone attacks.

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What they’re saying

“The question is becoming who runs out of missiles first. Does the defender run out of interceptors, or does Iran run out of missiles, or their ability to launch missiles?”

— Kelly Grieco, Senior Fellow, Stimson Center (ABC News)

“We don't want to shoot Patriot missiles at the drones. So, some of our short-range air defense, more capability of that type of nature needs to flow into countries so we're using our short-range missiles to take out these drones not our very limited patriot missiles.”

— Dan Karbler, Retired Lt. Gen., Former Commander of U.S. Space and Missile Defense Command (ABC News Live)

What’s next

Top Trump administration officials are expected to brief lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week about the status of the U.S. missile defense stockpile and the ongoing conflict with Iran.

The takeaway

The protracted war with Iran is straining the U.S. and its allies' missile defense capabilities, raising concerns about the sustainability of the military campaign. Replenishing these expensive, high-grade interceptor missiles will be a costly and time-consuming process, underscoring the need for effective strategies to counter Iran's missile and drone attacks without rapidly depleting limited stockpiles.