US warns European allies of arms shipment delays due to Iran war stockpile depletion

The US has warned European allies including the UK, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia to expect significant delays in weapons deliveries as the Pentagon rushes to replenish stockpiles depleted by the war with Iran, according to nine people familiar with the matter cited by the Financial Times.

The Pentagon informed countries to expect serious delays affecting several missile systems, with two sources saying discussions also included possible delays to deliveries to Asia. The delays are driven by concerns about US stockpile levels after large volumes of weapons were used in Iran over the past two months. The US military has already redeployed weapons from other regions, including the Indo-Pacific, to make up for shortages.

The delays affect ammunition for HIMARS, NASAMS and other missile systems. HIMARS are high-mobility rocket systems produced by Lockheed Martin. NASAMS are medium-range surface-to-air missile systems jointly developed by Raytheon and Norway's Kongsberg.

The Pentagon said it is "carefully evaluating new requests for equipment from partners as well as existing arms transfer cases to ensure alignment with operational needs" but declined to provide further details, citing the "operationally sensitive nature of these matters."

President Donald Trump dismissed concerns about stockpiles on Friday, saying: "All over the world, we have inventory, and we can take that if we need it."

Tom Wright, a former Biden administration official now at the Brookings Institution, said: "The Pentagon may now need to fight a long war in the Middle East and it's also desperate to shore up deterrence in the Indo-Pacific."

Christopher Johnstone, a former senior Pentagon official now at The Asia Group, said: "Allies in Asia are likely underestimating the impact that US munition shortfalls will have on them and how long the impact will last."

Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of US Indo-Pacific Command, said last month that major defence contractors could take up to two years to ramp up production to needed levels.

The delays come as the US is preparing a record arms sale package for Taiwan, including NASAMS systems and Patriot interceptors; the NASAMS portion alone is estimated at US$6 billion.

Strains on stockpiles are already affecting Ukraine. A senior Ukrainian official said US weapons deliveries to Kyiv have faced delays since the start of the war with Iran. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that delays have at times left Patriot launchers without missiles during Russian strikes.