A Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) analysis finds that U.S. forces likely have spent more than half of the prewar inventories of at least four critical munitions, including Tomahawk cruise missiles. CSIS analyst Mark Cancian told CBS News that munitions usage in the Iran conflict has been substantial and that rebuilding those inventories will take years, creating a temporary vulnerability for high-end contingency operations.
Cancian said the United States has repositioned assets and shifted munitions from other theaters, notably the Indo‑Pacific, to sustain operations in the Middle East. In the near term he does not expect U.S. forces to run out of munitions over the next several months, but he warned that depleted supplies in regions like the Indo‑Pacific could weaken deterrence if another major competitor such as China were to confront the United States. Replenishing complex weapons — for example Tomahawk missiles and air‑defense interceptors — requires time and production capacity, so even with funding it will take years to return to preconflict levels.
Separately, the White House said it is sending envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan for potential mediation efforts aimed at de‑escalation. The U.S. described the envoys as willing to listen to Iranian positions, while Iran’s foreign ministry has said it does not plan direct U.S.–Iran meetings; Pakistan would relay messages between the parties.
Mediators face several core issues: maritime security and the blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, where U.S. naval interdiction has met Iranian mining and demands for payments to allow passage; and Iran’s nuclear program, including questions about enrichment, the country’s stock of highly enriched uranium, and whether Tehran would accept limits in exchange for sanctions relief or access to frozen assets.
CSIS’s assessment highlights both immediate operational strain on munitions supplies and broader strategic consequences: sustained high rates of use in this conflict reduce readiness for other contingencies, and rebuilding advanced weapons inventories is neither quick nor inexpensive.