According to a report by Al Jazeera on May 10, 2026, Mark Kelly, a Democratic senator from Arizona, says it may take “years” for the United States to fully rebuild its munitions stockpiles following the war on Iran.
“It’s shocking how deep we have gone into these magazines, because this president got our country into this without a strategic goal, without a plan, without a timeline,” Kelly told CBS News.
He argued that the scale of weapons used in recent conflicts has significantly reduced US readiness for future engagements. “We’ve expended a lot of munitions, and that means the American people are less safe,” the senator added.
Kelly further warned that the consequences extend beyond the Middle East conflict. “Whether it’s a conflict in the western Pacific with China or somewhere else in the world, the munitions are depleted.”
His comments highlight growing concern among some lawmakers about the strain on US defense supplies after sustained military operations abroad, including ongoing commitments that have already drawn heavily from missile and precision-guided weapons stockpiles.
Defense analysts have also cautioned that rebuilding inventories will not happen quickly. Production lines for advanced munitions require time to scale up, while global demand remains high due to multiple active security crises. This combination, they say, could leave gaps in readiness if another major conflict emerges in the near term.
The debate in Washington reflects broader tensions over military spending priorities, with some lawmakers calling for increased investment in defense manufacturing capacity while others question the long-term costs of continued overseas engagements.
As discussions continue, concerns over ammunition shortages are expected to remain central to US defense policy planning and congressional oversight….Read_More…