US missile interceptor shortfall 'beyond critical' due to war on Iran: Report
US missile interceptor shortfall 'beyond critical' due to war on Iran: Report Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 08/27/2026 - 18:38 US and European officials are concerned that Russian missiles cannot be stopped Visitors queue to take a closer look at a Patriot missile launcher during the Armed Forces Day at the airbase in Laage, Germany, on 6 June 2026 (John Macdougall/AFP) Off The US war on Iran…
US and European officials have expressed concern over a critical shortage of advanced missile interceptors, particularly Patriot systems, due to the ongoing war on Iran. According to a report by the Associated Press, the US military in Europe does not possess enough Patriots to effectively defend against a sustained ballistic missile attack and would have very limited capability to protect against a single strike.
The conflict began on February 28th when US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, followed by Iranian retaliation in the form of drones and missiles targeting Gulf states. The US pulled some air defense systems and troops from East Asia during the fighting. The Wall Street Journal reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow to warn Russian President Vladimir Putin against a potential attack on Nato members.
Ukraine, engaged in a war with Russia, has utilized US-supplied ATACMS to strike back. The US military is running low on these medium-range ballistic missiles, which are also in short supply in Europe. The revelations come amid reports that the US has exhausted its stockpile of sophisticated long-range missiles during the war on Iran, including ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM).
The US has had to resort to replenishing its surface-to-surface missile stock from other theatres of operation.
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