By Gram Slattery and Humeyra Pamuk
WASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) – U.S. officials have informed some European counterparts that some previously contracted weapons deliveries are likely to be delayed as the Iran war continues to draw on weapons stocks, three sources familiar with the matter said.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the communications were not public, said several European countries will be affected, including in the Baltic region and in Scandinavia.
Some of the weapons in question were purchased by European countries under the Foreign Military Sales program, or FMS, but have not yet been delivered, the sources added. Those deliveries will likely be delayed, the sources said.
The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The State Department referred queries to the Pentagon.
The U.S. and Israel began air strikes against Iran on February 28, a campaign that has raised concerns among some U.S. officials that the U.S. defense industry would be unable to keep up with demand and could be forced to slow shipments to a number of buyers.
The U.S. had already drawn down billions of dollars’ worth of weapons stockpiles, including artillery systems, ammunition and anti-tank missiles since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and Israel began military operations in Gaza in late 2023.
Since the start of the Iran campaign, Tehran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Gulf countries. Most have been intercepted, including with the PAC-3 Patriot missile interceptors that, for example, Ukraine relies on to defend its energy and military infrastructure from ballistic missiles.
(Reporting by Gram Slattery and Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Don Durfee, Chizu Nomiyama and Nia Williams)
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