FT: U.S. warns Europe of delays to arms shipments as Iran war drains stockpiles

Washington has warned European allies, including the UK, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia, to expect long delivery delays for US weapons as it scrambles to replenish stockpiles depleted by the Iran war, ‘Financial Times’ notes.

The Pentagon had told the countries to expect serious delays for several missile systems, according to nine people familiar with the matter. Two people said there were also talks about postponing shipments to Asia.

The delays are partly driven by acute concerns about US inventory levels given the high volume of weapons used in the past two months in Iran. The American military has already been forced to move weapons from other regions, including the Indo-Pacific, to make up for the shortfalls.

In addition to sparking alarm across Europe, the delays are bad news for Ukraine amid concerns about US support for the country after four years of war.

The Pentagon said it was “carefully evaluating new requests for equipment from partners as well as existing arms transfer cases to ensure alignment with operational needs”. It declined to provide details, citing the “operationally sensitive nature of these matters”.

The delays come at a tense moment in transatlantic relations. President Donald Trump has lashed out at allies for not doing more to help the US campaign against Iran. Several people said the delays were not aimed at punishing Europe but reflected US worries about its stockpiles.

“The Pentagon may now need to fight a long war in the Middle East and it’s also desperate to shore up deterrence in the Indo-Pacific,” said Tom Wright, a former official in the administration of president Joe Biden who is now at the Brookings Institution. “It’s more than willing to throw Europe under the bus to do that. Europe needs to rebuild its own defence industrial base at warp speed.”

Security experts said US allies in Asia should also be prepared for delays. Japan and South Korea, for example, rely on various US weapons, including Patriot missile interceptors, for their defence.

“Allies in Asia are likely underestimating the impact that US munition shortfalls will have on them and how long the impact will last,” said Christopher Johnstone, a former top Pentagon official at The Asia Group.

“Japan was already deeply frustrated with delivery delays for systems they have paid for, including the Tomahawk cruise missiles,” Johnstone said. “This reality will drive Japan, South Korea and other allies to focus more heavily on indigenous and non-American options, even in areas where US equipment is clearly superior.”

US defence firms are racing to boost production of critical weapons, including Patriot interceptors. Trump last month said companies had agreed to “quadruple” output of exquisite systems. But inventories will remain strained as delivery schedules already take several years.

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