Wars are not measured only by the number of attacks, the missiles fired, or the areas gained on the battlefield. One of the most important criteria is the cost that war imposes on the military power, economy, and deterrence capacity of the parties; a cost that sometimes shows its effects months and even years after the end of the conflict.
It is within this framework that the recent report by the Los Angeles Times on the state of US missile stockpiles after the war with Iran takes on particular importance. Citing published estimates about US defensive missile reserves, the report says Washington consumed a significant portion of its advanced Patriot and THAAD missiles during the war, and rebuilding these stockpiles at the current capacity of the US defense industry could take several years.
According to the report, the United States consumed about 60 percent of its advanced defensive missile stockpiles in the first five months of the war. The estimate by the Center for Strategic and International Studies also indicates that US global Patriot and THAAD reserves declined from about 2,800 missiles at the start of the war to about 1,100 by the end of July.