The US government has difficulty providing consistent statements on this critical issue of ammunition.
On one hand, it claims that the United States has sufficient ammunition—even stating that Trump significantly increased the ammunition inventory, with quantities described as ‘unlimited’. On the other hand, it accuses the Biden administration of having exhausted the inventory and demands that Congress allocate substantial funds to replenish it. It also warns that a shortage will occur if Congress does not provide funding.
On Monday, July 27th local time, Trump dismissed concerns that the U.S. military might face a shortage of ammunition after several months of air strikes in Iran. He told reporters on Air Force One, “We have plenty of ammunition.” He added, “To be honest, I hope we can have more ammunition, but we have already given Ukraine too much assistance in resisting Russian invasion.”
Trump also said that his predecessor Biden's shipment was "unprecedented".
American Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz's interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday is also a typical example of confusion in statements.
When asked about media reports that Kaine once again expressed concerns about ammunition inventories (just before the United States suspended strikes against Iran on Friday), Wachters, like Trump, shifted the blame to the Biden administration.
Waltz said: “The Defense Minister Haggis inherited a situation that was exhausted—not only in Ukraine, but also the ongoing battles with the Houla militia during the Biden administration, and the weakened military under the leadership of the Biden administration.”
But when NBC's Christen Werk asked him if he admitted that the inventory had indeed run out, Wallis claimed that he had not admitted it.
He said, “No, I must make it very clear: I have verified from all aspects that the American military has everything necessary to carry out this operation.”
According to a report by The New York Times on July 25, Trump has at least temporarily suspended plans to escalate military strikes against Iran. Senior officials in the U.S. government are particularly concerned that further escalation of the conflict will excessively deplete the 'Patriot' anti-missile missiles and other air defense munitions deployed by the U.S. Department of Defense in the Middle East. These air defense weapons are already in short supply, increasing the risks faced by the U.S. military in the event of Iranian retaliation.
American officials stated that the urgent need to stockpile interception missiles is just one of many considerations. Restarting large-scale military operations itself carries significant risks. Trump and his key advisors are also concerned that if the Middle Eastern conflict escalates, it could lead to retaliation from Iran against American Gulf allies, damaging relations between the United States and these allies. This, in turn, would create further pressure on the global economy, energy supplies, and refugee issues.
American cable news network CNN commented on the 27th that the Iran war might be a futile one, possibly damaging American national security and also weakening America's ability to deter hostile foreign powers in the short term.
The report indicates that regardless of the true state of ammunition stockpiles, this represents a potential major problem for the Trump administration. It not only affects how long the U.S. government can continue the war in Iraq, but it may also continue to influence U.S. foreign policy after the war ends.
