Can US protect Israel? Top general flags shortage of naval assets
According to a report by The Washington Post, the chief of the United States European Command has informed the Pentagon that the US does not have adequate naval assets in the region to continue defending Israel from Iranian missiles.
The top commander of US forces stationed in Europe has reportedly warned the Pentagon that the American military lacks enough resources to continue protecting Israel from incoming ballistic missiles.
According to a report by The Washington Post, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the chief of the United States European Command (EUCOM), informed Pentagon officials earlier this week that the US does not have adequate naval assets in the region to continue intercepting Iranian projectiles launched towards Israel.
The EUCOM coordinates operations in the Mediterranean Sea, where its warships help shoot down missiles launched in Israel's direction from Iran and from Yemen by Tehran's Houthi allies.
In a letter, Gen. Grynkewich cautioned the Pentagon that he will have to choose between defending the homeland over Israel if another Navy destroyer isn't deployed under his command, The Washington Post reported on Saturday, August 1, citing unidentified officials.
For now, the US has five destroyers stationed at a Spanish port. The vessels are available for deployment to the eastern Mediterranean as part of efforts to defend Israel from aerial strikes. A sixth destroyer is reportedly expected to join the fleet later this year.
Gen. Grynkewich's purported remarks come amid growing concerns that the US's months-long military campaign in the Middle East has severely depleted its stock of advanced interceptor missiles.
WAR STRAINING US MILITARY SUPPLIES?
Earlier this month, The New York Times had reported that one of the central reasons US President Donald Trump chose to pause strikes on Iran was the risk of sharply depleting American air defence inventories across the Middle East.
It said Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had advised that, although expanding strikes against Iran remained possible from an operational standpoint, such a trajectory risked critically reducing the interceptor missile stockpiles available to the US Central Command.
The top commander of US forces stationed in Europe has reportedly warned the Pentagon that the American military lacks enough resources to continue protecting Israel from incoming ballistic missiles.
According to a report by The Washington Post, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the chief of the United States European Command (EUCOM), informed Pentagon officials earlier this week that the US does not have adequate naval assets in the region to continue intercepting Iranian projectiles launched towards Israel.
The EUCOM coordinates operations in the Mediterranean Sea, where its warships help shoot down missiles launched in Israel's direction from Iran and from Yemen by Tehran's Houthi allies.
In a letter, Gen. Grynkewich cautioned the Pentagon that he will have to choose between defending the homeland over Israel if another Navy destroyer isn't deployed under his command, The Washington Post reported on Saturday, August 1, citing unidentified officials.
For now, the US has five destroyers stationed at a Spanish port. The vessels are available for deployment to the eastern Mediterranean as part of efforts to defend Israel from aerial strikes. A sixth destroyer is reportedly expected to join the fleet later this year.
Gen. Grynkewich's purported remarks come amid growing concerns that the US's months-long military campaign in the Middle East has severely depleted its stock of advanced interceptor missiles.
WAR STRAINING US MILITARY SUPPLIES?
Earlier this month, The New York Times had reported that one of the central reasons US President Donald Trump chose to pause strikes on Iran was the risk of sharply depleting American air defence inventories across the Middle East.
It said Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had advised that, although expanding strikes against Iran remained possible from an operational standpoint, such a trajectory risked critically reducing the interceptor missile stockpiles available to the US Central Command.
The top commander of US forces stationed in Europe has reportedly warned the Pentagon that the American military lacks enough resources to continue protecting Israel from incoming ballistic missiles.
According to a report by The Washington Post, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the chief of the United States European Command (EUCOM), informed Pentagon officials earlier this week that the US does not have adequate naval assets in the region to continue intercepting Iranian projectiles launched towards Israel.
The EUCOM coordinates operations in the Mediterranean Sea, where its warships help shoot down missiles launched in Israel's direction from Iran and from Yemen by Tehran's Houthi allies.
In a letter, Gen. Grynkewich cautioned the Pentagon that he will have to choose between defending the homeland over Israel if another Navy destroyer isn't deployed under his command, The Washington Post reported on Saturday, August 1, citing unidentified officials.
For now, the US has five destroyers stationed at a Spanish port. The vessels are available for deployment to the eastern Mediterranean as part of efforts to defend Israel from aerial strikes. A sixth destroyer is reportedly expected to join the fleet later this year.
Gen. Grynkewich's purported remarks come amid growing concerns that the US's months-long military campaign in the Middle East has severely depleted its stock of advanced interceptor missiles.
WAR STRAINING US MILITARY SUPPLIES?
Earlier this month, The New York Times had reported that one of the central reasons US President Donald Trump chose to pause strikes on Iran was the risk of sharply depleting American air defence inventories across the Middle East.
It said Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had advised that, although expanding strikes against Iran remained possible from an operational standpoint, such a trajectory risked critically reducing the interceptor missile stockpiles available to the US Central Command.
