Pentagon considering diverting military aid from Ukraine to Middle East: Report
Sources say war with Iran depleting critical munitions for US forces
HOUSTON, United States
The Pentagon is considering a plan to divert weapons from Ukraine to the Middle East, as the US war with Iran reaches the one-month mark, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Thursday.
Sources told the Journal that the war with Iran has depleted some of the US military’s most critical munitions and that the shifting of resources may be necessary.
A final decision to redirect the ammunition and military equipment has not yet been made by the Pentagon, but experts said the shift would highlight the growing trade-offs required to sustain the war against Iran.
US Central Command has hit more than 9,000 targets in just under four weeks of fighting, according to officials, with continued strikes expected for the foreseeable future.
The Journal report said weapons that could be diverted away from Ukraine include air defense interceptor missiles, which were ordered through a NATO program in which partner countries buy US arms for Kyiv.
The Trump administration has cut off most of the Pentagon’s direct military assistance to Ukraine, so diverting the current resources would leave Ukraine with limited munitions.
The Pentagon released a statement that said the Defense Department would "ensure that U.S. forces and those of our allies and partners have what they need to fight and win."
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was asked about the Journal report, but did not address the possible diversion of military resources to the Middle East.
"This vital U.S. equipment for Ukraine, including interceptors, is continuing to flow," Rutte said at a news conference.
European nations currently provide the bulk of military support to Kyiv, committing about $4 billion to Ukraine through the NATO program, according to a US official, but a constant flow of munitions to the Ukraine war is still crucial.
"They are really burning through munitions, so there are questions now about how much they will keep providing through the deal," said a diplomatic official with knowledge of the NATO program.
The Journal report noted that a European official said that any US decision to divert systems would only affect the next deliveries to Ukraine, after the coming month or two, because "there are things already in the pipeline."
