US Military Lacks Resources for Prolonged Israel Missile Defence, Top Commander Warns: Report

The commander of US forces in Europe has reportedly warned the Pentagon.

That the American military lacks the resources to continue defending Israel against sustained ballistic missile attacks, highlighting mounting pressure on US military capabilities amid ongoing tensions in West Asia.

According to The Washington Post, General Alexus Grynkewich, head of the US European Command (EUCOM), informed Pentagon officials earlier this week that current naval assets in the region are insufficient to maintain missile interception operations if Iran launches another major attack on Israel.

Citing unnamed US officials, the report said Grynkewich wrote in a letter that he may be forced to prioritise the defence of the US homeland over protecting Israel unless an additional US Navy destroyer is placed under EUCOM’s command.

EUCOM oversees American military operations across Europe and the Mediterranean. In recent months, US Navy destroyers operating in the eastern Mediterranean have played a key role in intercepting ballistic missiles fired at Israel from Iran, as well as countering attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The report comes as the US currently has five Navy destroyers based in Spain that can be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean in support of Israel’s missile defence. A sixth destroyer is expected to join the fleet later this year.

The reported warning also underscores growing concerns within the Pentagon that months of military operations in West Asia have significantly reduced US stockpiles of advanced interceptor missiles.

Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that fears over dwindling air defence inventories were among the factors that influenced US President Donald Trump’s decision to pause planned military strikes on Iran.

According to the report, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine advised that while expanding operations against Iran remained militarily feasible, doing so could dangerously deplete interceptor missile reserves needed by US Central Command to protect American forces and interests across the region.