Depleted Weapons Stockpiles Reduce Intensity of Iran War

US President Donald Trump claims his country has a “virtually unlimited supply” of key weapons, while Iran’s defense ministry says it has “the capacity to resist the enemy” for longer than the US had planned, Jonathan Beale reported for BBC News.

For both sides, sustaining this level of combat will become increasingly difficult the longer the war continues. (Photo: United States Department of Defense) 

Weapons stocks and supplies alone will not determine the outcome of the conflict—Ukraine has long been outnumbered and outgunned by Russia—but they remain a significant factor.

The tempo of operations has been high from the outset, and both sides are likely using weapons faster than they can be produced.

The Tel Aviv–based Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) estimates that the US and Israel have already carried out more than 2,000 strikes, each involving multiple munitions.

INSS says Iran has launched 571 missiles and 1,391 drones, many of which were intercepted.

For both sides, sustaining this level of combat will become increasingly difficult the longer the war continues. Western officials say they have already seen a decrease in the number of missiles Iran is firing—down from hundreds on the first day of the war to dozens now.

Before the conflict began, Iran was estimated to possess more than 2,000 short-range ballistic missiles.

Military forces typically do not disclose precise stockpile figures, as such information is classified.

America’s top commander, Gen. Dan Caine, said Wednesday that Iran’s ballistic missile launches were down 86% from the first day of fighting on Saturday. US Central Command (Centcom) reported a 23% decline in the past 24 hours alone.

Iran was also believed to have mass-produced tens of thousands of its Shahed one-way attack drones before the war.

The country exported the technology to Russia, which has used a version of the Shahed drones extensively in Ukraine. Even the US has reportedly adapted aspects of the design.