US warns EU allies of arms delivery delays as Iran war drains stockpiles

US Warns European Allies of Arms Delays as Iran War Drains Stockpiles

The United States has warned European allies including the United Kingdom, Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia to expect prolonged delays in the delivery of American weapons systems, as the ongoing war with Iran rapidly depletes U.S. munitions stockpiles, the Financial Times reported on Friday.ft

The warning, delivered through bilateral channels, marks an expansion of earlier alerts that had been limited to Baltic and Scandinavian nations. It underscores how deeply the two-month-old conflict is straining America’s defense industrial base and unsettling NATO allies already on edge over Russia.

Allies Left Waiting

Reuters first reported in mid-April that Washington had privately informed several European countries that deliveries under the Foreign Military Sales program would face delays tied to operational demands in the Middle East. Since then, the disruptions have widened.i24news

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur disclosed on April 21 that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had personally called to inform him that all U.S. arms deliveries to Estonia were being suspended. The pause affects HIMARS rocket launcher ammunition and Javelin missiles, and Pevkur said it would “certainly last longer than weeks, more likely months”. The New York Times reported that Hegseth suspended delivery of six HIMARS units to Estonia.yle

Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė acknowledged at an April 17 joint press conference with her Estonian counterpart that Vilnius had also been told to expect schedule changes. “We understand that some of the deadlines, they are moving,” she said, though she added that Lithuania does not yet see “a big problem”.defensenews

The Pentagon has been diverting bombs, missiles, and equipment from bases in Asia and Europe to sustain operations in the Middle East, leaving allied countries less prepared and pushing some to explore alternative suppliers.investinglive

War Costs and Congressional Pressure

The warnings come as the financial toll of the Iran conflict comes into sharper focus. Pentagon officials told Congress this week that the war has cost at least $25 billion, though U.S. officials familiar with internal assessments told CBS News the true figure is closer to $50 billion, with much of the gap accounted for by munitions that must be replaced.cbsnews

Hegseth appeared before the House and Senate Armed Services Committees on Wednesday and Thursday, urging lawmakers to approve funding to replenish supplies and backing the Pentagon’s record $1.5 trillion budget request for fiscal year 2027. But he spent much of his testimony clashing with skeptical lawmakers from both parties, calling criticism of the war “reckless” and “defeatist”.cnbc

A Production Gap

While the administration has touted agreements with defense contractors to ramp up production — Lockheed Martin plans to increase output of PAC-3 Patriot interceptors from 600 to 2,000 units per year — the New York Times reported that most of those increases will not materialize for several years. In the interim, allies face an uncomfortable wait, and some, like Estonia, have begun signaling they may reconsider their reliance on American arms altogether.err

Friday marks the 60-day milestone under the War Powers Act since President Trump notified Congress of military operations against Iran, a deadline Hegseth has controversially argued is paused during the current ceasefire.aljazeera