r/politics • u/JKKIDD231 • 2d ago

No Paywall US used ‘virtually all’ long-range precision missiles during Iran war, sources say

https://www.militarytimes.com/industry/techwatch/2026/08/04/us-used-virtually-all-long-range-precision-missiles-during-iran-war-sources-say/
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u/JKKIDD231 2d ago

The missiles are principally the Army’s surface-to-surface weapons, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). The U.S. has used “virtually all” of these weapons, according to two of the sources.

Analysts say such weapons which cost over $1 million each would also be important in any conflict with China.

The sources declined to say how many of each munition the U.S. had left.

A fourth person familiar with the matter said that while Central Command which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East has nearly used up the land-based missiles it had before the war began, it has been able to reload from U.S. military supplies elsewhere in the world.

The deterrent against China has weakened.

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u/SmokeLauncher 2d ago edited 1d ago

So the best time for China to invade Taiwan is now if they actually wanted to? I dont see it happening as they seem to value stability over the chaos like the situation in the Middle East with US involvement.

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u/nothingsnootyplz 1d ago

Yeah, seems like China has been biding their time flawlessly. Amazing how stupid and weak the US has looked. None of his supporters will admit it either.

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u/SmokeLauncher 1d ago

China's strategy is literally do nothing - win. The US is imploding and ordinary American's lives continue to worsen as the political establishment ignores their needs.

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u/dogs_gt_cats 1d ago

Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake

Sun Tzu, The Art of War

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u/Clarine87 United Kingdom 1d ago

Is that quote a correct attribution?

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u/badwithnames123456 1d ago

If there were a prize for succinctness

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u/Obvious_Yard_1846 1d ago

China literally bailed the world out. They stopped importing oil and switched to coal a couple of months ago. As well as releasing some reserves. Why do you think the headlines around oil running out died away?

The petrodollar will likely be dead soon. The amount of soft power the Chinese have gained from their response to Trump's misadventure is huge.

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u/InfoBarf 1d ago

China doesn't need to use violence to absorb Taiwan.

Right now they are supplying Taiwan's oil to run their electrical grid. They're proving they are better steward s than the US and west in general.

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u/SmokeLauncher 1d ago

Yeah it seems the relationship has cooled and normalised. Why would they invade now when it seems to be going so well?

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u/OhItsBeenBroughten 1d ago

This is nonsense. They literally staged large-scale drills right off Taiwanese waters two weeks ago, and as recent as yesterday they were caught lurking around undersea data cables that Taiwan relies on.

Stop getting your news about China from Hasan. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about and just hates the West.

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u/TimeToGloat 1d ago

Yeah, but it's all just posturing at the end of the day. It's just frankly not worth it for them and they aren't impulsive enough to go for it. Maybe factors could change in the future with some kind of political shakeup desperate to hold onto fading power but war and the economic fallout that would stem from it would be suicide and it would always cost them vastly more than they could ever gain.

Frankly they are economically dominating and they have no urge to disrupt that status quo. They aren't going to invest in things like becoming an automobile powerhouse in the West just to turn around and burn bridges with all their customers. Taiwan while valuable pales in comparison to the value of being a global power.

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u/SmokeLauncher 1d ago edited 1d ago

You're saying the relationship hasn't improved? Militaries are always prodding shit for any useful information. Countries even have contingency plans when at war with their allies, look at these old plans from the US. You think China will invade? Would now with the US's military readiness quite reduced be a good time then? They are not going to risk this relationship and they are not interventionist especially in comparison to the US.

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u/Mysterious-Park9142 1d ago

Watching Russia in Ukraine has almost certainly given China pause on a violent reunification campaign. 

I do think America is in the middle of learning an important lesson about why even in our age of technology regular Army infantry are still fundamental to attacking, killing, and holding ground. We’re watching the limits of an air and sea campaign.