US missile interceptor shortfall 'beyond critical' due to war on Iran: Report

US missile interceptor shortfall 'beyond critical' due to war on Iran: Report Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 08/27/2026 - 18:38 US and European officials are concerned that Russian missiles cannot be stopped Visitors queue to take a closer look at a Patriot missile launcher during the Armed Forces Day at the airbase in Laage, Germany, on 6 June 2026 (John Macdougall/AFP) Off The US war on Iran has caused a "beyond critical" shortage of advanced missile interceptors, especially Patriots, which have been used to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles, a Nato official and US official told the Associated Press (AP) in a report published on Thursday. The US military in Europe "definitely" does not have enough Patriots to stop a sustained ballistic missile attack, the US official said, and would have "very limited" capability to defend against a single ballistic missile strike. The US and Israel first attacked Iran on 28 February.