As the US-Iran war progressed, Iran adapted how it attacked US military bases in the Middle East, which forced the US to use its already scarce supply of Patriot interceptors, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.
During five days in June, Iran launched waves of drones and missiles at US forces on three bases in Jordan, aiming to overwhelm American air defenses. The IRGC used missiles that could suddenly change course, forcing the US to use scarce interceptor missiles, the NYT reported.
On July 17, an Iranian strike in Jordan hit a housing unit on a US base, killing three soldiers.
A statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM) on July 18 said that "On July 17, two US service members in Jordan were killed in action as CENTCOM and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Additionally, one service member is currently missing in action."
Responding to the fatal attack, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the NYT, "We shot down almost all the missiles; one leaked through.”
As the war has progressed, Iran has become more tactical and skilled with its strikes, learning how to evade US air defenses as the conflict has spread across the region, according to NYT reports.
Simultaneously, the US was running through its stockpile of interceptor missiles.
The US Army had used up "virtually all" of its highly accurate long-range missiles during the five-month war with Iran, according to a Reuters report on August 4.
These long-range munitions allow the military to carry out accurate strikes from a safe distance, playing a crucial role in the US-Iran conflict.
US munitions shortage after months of war
The Pentagon has fewer than 1,700 Patriot interceptors left, a source told the NYT.
When asked for comment on the stockpile data, the White House issued a statement from Trump, saying the US had “far more munitions than anyone in the world" and "far more than we need," Reuters reported.
"Our defense companies are, at this moment, making more munitions than they have ever made before, in addition to expanding their plants and equipment at record levels," Trump said.
The munitions shortage has an impact beyond the US-Iran conflict. The Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) stockpile, a short-range missile also in demand by Ukraine, is drained to the extent that there’s basically none left, Reuters reported.
Between February and July, the US had used around 65% of its Patriot interceptors.