Vice President JD Vance received sobering assessments about the war that did not align with the public statements of President Trump and other senior administration officials. During the spring and summer, Mr. Vance took the unusual step of directly calling U.S. military commanders in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia to obtain their candid evaluations of the Iran conflict. Tasked by President Trump with helping to bring the war to an end, Mr. Vance sought individual judgments in the commanders’ own words before those views were filtered through the Pentagon. The discussions covered numerous topics, including war objectives, tactics, casualty projections, Iranian actions in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian adaptability, and the extent of punishment the Iranian government could endure. Mr. Vance also requested detailed inventories of remaining military stockpiles and inquired about how weapon transfers to the Middle East would impact deterrence capabilities regarding China, Russia, and North Korea. On weapon supplies, the commanders delivered blunt warnings, expressing serious concern over depleted stocks of Patriot interceptors, which form the core of U.S. air defenses. By late spring, one theater’s inventory had dropped below 100 interceptors. The conflict had similarly drained supplies of Army Tactical Missile Systems and Precision Strike Missiles. Commanders reported that critical munitions reserves were at historic lows. These details emerged from interviews with more than half a dozen current and former officials speaking on condition of anonymity. According to individuals who spoke with Mr. Vance, several of these conversations left him deeply troubled regarding the overarching strategy and the likelihood of success. The evaluations highlighted the profound resilience of the Iranian government fighting for its survival, as well as the constrained availability of U.S. defensive weaponry needed to counter retaliatory strikes or address threats in other regions.
Source: nytimes.com
