Missiles, Attrition, and the Limits of American Power

Apart from the Strait of Hormuz issue, the United States’ depletion of interceptors and missiles pushed President Trump toward conditional surrender to Iran.

The War That Exposed US Military Vulnerabilities

Many believe the primary reason was the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which led to global economic instability and inflation. Indeed, rising energy prices, disruptions to the global oil supply chain, and rising global inflation increased pressure on the Trump administration. However, the actual reason is much more alarming, particularly for the United States. The US-Iran war exposed the vulnerabilities of the US military. During this war, Iran significantly altered the future dynamics of war. According to some media reports, the United States used almost one-third of its Tomahawk cruise missile supplies, 80 percent of its THAAD interceptors, 50 percent of its Patriot missile interceptors, and a huge portion of its inventory of Precision Strike Missiles during this war. In addition, the United States also used most of its SM-3 and SM-6 naval interceptors. These claims reveal the strategic vulnerabilities and weaknesses of the US military.

The US and Israeli strategists appear to have made miscalculations regarding Iran during their........

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