> Another Sunday night surrender. Trump Pauses Iran Strikes as Officials Weigh Dwindling Air Defense Stocks

President Trump has put off a major escalation of his military campaign against Iran amid efforts to revive diplomacy to open the Strait of Hormuz and a debate over the impact of declining munitions stocks, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

The U.S. military had been poised Friday to launch an intensive series of strikes against Iran, which could have lasted up to two weeks, the officials said.

But the operation was delayed so diplomacy could proceed and as officials discussed the effect a major attack could have on the U.S. shrinking stocks of Patriot and other air defense interceptors. The president could still order an attack, officials said, noting that the situation remains fluid.

The White House has been informed of the declining inventories of air defense interceptors by Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, officials added. The issue is a concern for Caine, who believes that the low inventories wouldn’t preclude a resumption of major combat operations against Iran, but would add to the risk, the officials added.

“The diminished munitions stockpiles have created a near-term risk,” said an April report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies by Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel, and Chris Park, a research associate at the think tank. “A war against a capable peer competitor like China will consume munitions at greater rates than in this war.”

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