US depleted 'virtually all' long-range precision missiles during Iran war: Report

The US has exhausted its stockpile of sophisticated long-range missiles during the war on Iran, suggesting that there are supply limits to President Donald Trump’s threat to subject the Islamic Republic to the "biggest attack" since World War II.

The US has drained its supply of surface-to-surface weapons, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing two sources who said the US had used "virtually all" of these munitions.

These long-range missiles are a critical part of the US’s arsenal, allowing it to accurately target foes from a distance without relying on warplanes that are vulnerable to air defence systems.

Reuters reported that US Central Command - which oversees military operations in the Middle East - has had to replenish its stock of surface-to-surface missiles from other theatres of operation.

The US and Israel first attacked Iran on 28 February. Fighting has flared throughout the summer despite a June ceasefire brokered through the Islamabad memorandum of understanding between the two sides.

The US pulled some air defence systems and troops from East Asia at the beginning of the war. Ukraine, which is battling a Russian invasion, has used US-supplied ATACMS to target Russia.

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