International War on Iran

"Washington Post": Resource Shortage Limits Expansion of US Strikes on Iran

The Washington Post has revealed that the United States faces limitations in expanding its strikes on Iran in the coming days due to a shortage of resources.

Ayşe İrem Çakır, Baybars Can

July 21, 2026•Updated: July 21, 2026

ANKARA

Ankara / Anadolu

** US official's statements to the paper:

- We do not have sufficient resources to continue operations safely, and I do not think the White House realizes that.

- There is a decline in US stockpiles of air defense systems and long-range munitions.

- There are constraints on the ability to send more troops and aircraft to the region due to war damage.

The Washington Post has revealed that the United States faces limitations in expanding its strikes on Iran in the coming days due to a shortage of resources.

The newspaper quoted an unnamed US official as saying that the United States is preparing to expand the scope of its airstrikes on Iran in the coming days, claiming that this expansion "faces limitations due to a shortage of resources."

The official pointed to a decline in US stockpiles of air defense systems and long-range munitions, and also noted constraints on its ability to send more troops and aircraft to the region due to "war damage."

The official said: "We do not have sufficient resources to continue operations safely, and I do not think the White House realizes that."

Israeli media had claimed that the United States is preparing in the coming days to expand the scope of its airstrikes on Iran, and that it has begun in this context sending aerial refueling aircraft to the Middle East, in addition to other fighter jets.

For days, the United States has been launching successive waves of strikes on sites inside Iran, while Tehran attacks "American ships, facilities, and military bases" in several countries in the region.

This comes despite Washington and Tehran signing a memorandum of understanding on June 18 last, which included a ceasefire and the start of negotiations to reach a broader agreement.

However, US President Donald Trump announced on July 8 the end of the ceasefire, after Iran targeted three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Washington to resume its strikes inside Iran amid escalating responses from Tehran in the region.

Washington demands ensuring freedom of navigation and its security in the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran insists on imposing a mechanism to regulate the passage of ships through the strategic waterway, exacerbating fears of disruption to oil and gas exports from the region.