Last week, America appeared on the verge of a major escalation in Iran. President Donald Trump told Axios on Thursday, “I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before.” The Pentagon ordered more forces into the Persian Gulf. Trump appeared to have lost his temper and his patience.
Then, in a fateful meeting at noon on Friday at the Oval Office, the plans for what one U.S. defense official called “Epic Fury 2: Electric Boogaloo,” were paused. That war plan “would mean hitting more missile facilities, more infrastructure, more weapons factories,” this source said, emphasizing that the focus was on the regime’s arsenal near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s oil refineries and power plants were also possible targets, this source said.
One reason Trump backed away was because America’s supply of interceptors, like the SM-3 and Patriot systems, have been significantly depleted, according to The New York Times. Already, the low stocks of interceptors have left American bases vulnerable. Earlier this month, an Iranian missile strike killed three U.S. service members at an American base in Jordan. Another round of intense fighting would deplete U.S. missile defense systems even further, potentially eating into the supply of interceptors in place to deter China from menacing Taiwan.
