US military faces attrition challenges in Iran war, needs to prepare for protracted conflict
The U.S. war with Iran, which President Donald Trump predicted would last four to five weeks, has dragged on for over a month and settled into a shaky cease-fire, with both sides continuing to strike each other and their partners. The conflict has exposed critical shortages in U.S. munitions stockpiles, including precision-strike missiles and THAAD interceptors, and highlighted the military's reliance on allies and overseas bases. Analysts say the United States must invest in larger munitions stockpiles, hardened bases, directed-energy weapons, and closer allied cooperation to prepare for long wars of attrition.
President Donald Trump launched the war on Iran and promised it would be quick and easy, telling The New York Times on March 1 it would last "four to five weeks." The conflict instead dragged on for more than a month before a shaky cease-fire was struck. Despite the formal pause in fighting, Tehran and Washington are still striking each other and each other's partners, and both have repeatedly threatened to restart full-scale conflict.
The war has exposed critical shortages in U.S. munitions stockpiles. According to an estimate by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the United States has used nearly half of its stockpile of precision-strike missiles and at least half of its THAAD missile interceptors. The United States is running low on various critical missiles, including precision-strike missiles and THAAD missile interceptors. It will take years to replenish both to prewar levels.
The United States has lost multiple expensive tankers and command-and-control aircraft in the war with Iran. Iran has sent Shahed drones to saturate American air defense systems and strike U.S. bases in the Middle East. The United States has already lost an A-10 Warthog and an F-15 Eagle in April.
The Trump administration's 2027 fiscal year budget request would fund only a fraction of the long-term munitions contracts the Pentagon has promised. The United States must spend more on buying a wider array of munitions and guarantee purchases over years. Washington should speed up fielding directed energy weapons such as lasers and high-powered microwaves to combat drone and missile attacks.
American operations in Iran would be nearly impossible without the help of Gulf Arab states and Israel. Ukraine is helping the United States learn how to defend against Iran's drone bombardments. The United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in an overnight raid on Caracas in early January. The June 2025 surprise strike on Iran's nuclear program used U.S. B-2 stealth bombers.