US may lose weapons to deter China over Yemen conflict - NYT
Photo: The US Army is concerned about running out of weapons (Getty Images)
The United States may lose the weapons to deter China due to its continued involvement in conflicts in the Middle East, particularly in Yemen. This threatens the ability of the US military to maintain the necessary balance, according to The New York Times.
Senior US Army officials are increasingly concerned that the Pentagon will soon have to move long-range precision weapons from the Asia-Pacific to the Middle East due to active hostilities and the constant use of ammunition in military operations.
According to The New York Times' congressional sources, this is due to the heavy burden on the US armed forces as a result of the conflicts in the Middle East, in particular the bombing of Yemen, which was launched by President Donald Trump.
The deployment of US warships and aircraft in the Middle East after the Israel-Gaza war in October 2023, as well as attacks by Houthi militants on ships in the Red Sea, have led to a significant decline in US readiness in the Asia-Pacific region.
The high work pace and constant attacks are forcing the US military to work in conditions where even basic equipment maintenance is becoming problematic.
President Trump's aides, such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Deputy Defense Secretary Elbridge Colby, have said that the United States should focus on strengthening its forces in Asia to contain China's growing military ambitions.
They emphasize that support for Ukraine and long military campaigns in the Middle East have drained American resources, leaving the United States less prepared for new conflicts in the region.
The issue of US military readiness will be discussed during Admiral Samuel Paparo's testimony before Congress in the coming days.
He will likely be forced to answer questions about balancing resources at a time when Israel and other countries in the region may increase military activity.
Confrontation escalation between United States and Houthis
Over the past two weeks, the confrontation between the United States military and the militants of the Islamic Houthi group in Yemen has escalated.
On March 15, the US military attacked militant targets on a large scale. In this way, Washington is trying to restore commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden and push Iran to conclude a nuclear deal.
In particular, the strikes killed several Islamist leaders.
In response, on March 16, the Houthis fired on the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea.
US President Donald Trump believes that the militants have suffered very heavy blows and now want peace.
