The top U.S. military commander in Europe has warned the Pentagon that a shortage of Navy destroyers could force him to prioritize defending the American homeland over Israel against ballistic missile threats, according to a written notice sent to senior defense officials this week.
General Alexus Grynkewich, head of U.S. European Command, outlined the strain on naval forces assigned to missile defense missions. The U.S. currently operates five destroyers from Rota, Spain, with a sixth expected later this year. As of Friday, two were in the Mediterranean Sea and three remained in port. The warning underscores how stretched the U.S. Navy has become amid the five-month war with Iran, which has depleted advanced interceptor stockpiles and increased maintenance demands on deployed vessels.
The conflict has seen American warships intercept missiles fired by Iran and by Yemen's Houthi movement. A separate fleet, including two aircraft carriers and at least 11 destroyers, is enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports after the collapse of a ceasefire in early July. A Defense Department assessment in May found the U.S. had consumed more advanced interceptors defending Israel than Israeli forces themselves.