Among key stake players with a financial or related self interest in the prolongation of the Iran war are defence contractors, arms manufacturers and their lobby groups in politics, economy and the media. Already highly successful as seen in the recent record earnings and elevated stock market values of companies such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman,  L3Harris Technology and Raytheon, they have been encouraged by news of the rundown in American munitions supply as a result of which President Trump and his Pentagon officials have recently been having meetings with U.S. companies to urge them to speed up production.

According to U.S. Defence Department and congressional officials estimates, the U.S. burned through around 1,100 long-range stealth cruise missiles. These apparently were initially built for a war with China, leaving close to the same number remaining in the U.S. stockpile. Other estimates indicate that the military has fired more than 1,000 Tomahawk cruise  missiles or roughly 10 times the number it buys each year. More than 1,200 Patriot interceptor missiles and 1,000 Precision Strike and Army Tactical Missile System (ATACM) round-based missiles were also used leaving “inventories worrisomely low”. 

Fight Back Against A Larger War Budget

Currently under consideration in Congress is a request by the Trump administration for an additional U.S.$70 billion to pay for the war and to rebuild the munitions supply. Peace advocates in the U.S. can counter this and hurt the renewal of war effort by denying the budgetary support which has enabled unjustifiable wars to be begun, fought and prolonged.

The lesson they, and others, can learn from the war in Iran and from previous wars fought........

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