Iran war sapping some resources from deterrence efforts in Asia-Pacific: Official tells Congress

Michael Hernandez

The Iran war has eaten into resources needed to deter adversaries in the Asia Pacific region, a US military official indicated to lawmakers Wednesday.

The conflict is currently in a ceasefire that was unilaterally extended by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday amid a stalemate between Washington and Tehran about a second round of talks.

But the war that Israel and the US launched against Iran on Feb. 28 has badly eaten into US stocks of missile interceptors and other critical assets as Washington has sought to stave off successive waves of Iranian drone and missile barrages that, in some cases, have badly damaged or destroyed US military assets in the region.

Adm. Samuel Paparo, the US Navy commander for the Indo-Pacific, acknowledged under questioning from Rep. Adam Smith, that US forces in the region have had to adapt to what he called “some entrepreneurial approaches to some of the force elements that have been allocated to US Central Command.”

He was referring to the US’ Middle East Command, which has received military assets during the war that would have normally been assigned to other theaters.

Paparo pointed explicitly to annual joint training exercises in the Philippines, commonly referred to as “Balikatan,” Tagalog for “shoulder-to-shoulder,” that test joint military readiness among partner nations.

“We’ll have some other elements where we drive some more creativity in the process so that we can maintain the exercise objectives, and our allies and partners have made some important shifts to continue to support our military exercises,” he said in response to questioning from the committee’s top Democrat.

In addition to the US shifting materiel and troops to the Middle East, the war has also sent shockwaves through global energy markets as Iran shuttered the Strait of Hormuz, curtailing the flow of ships through the critical waterway. After Iran loosened its restrictions, US President Donald Trump imposed a US blockade on the strait, preventing Iran-linked ships from transiting.

Asked about the ripple effects of the war on the fuel supplies of allies in the Asia-Pacific region, Paparo said his command has “not gotten into the detail on the larger fuel implications for each individual partner nation, but you know, it’s something that we’re watching, the flow of energy into the Indo-Pacific, the linkage of economics.”

Pressed by Smith on the implications of the war for the US’ fuel supplies in the region, Paparo acknowledged that while it has yet to force the US into making difficult decisions, that may happen in the future.

“We’ve not yet had to make hard fuel choices that have affected our ability to do exercises, but it’ll be an issue of concern moving forward,” he said.

Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan pushed Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs John Noh on the ramifications of the war, becoming increasingly incredulous after the Defense official maintained that the military “has sufficient munitions to address any task at hand.”

“And you can deliver that with a straight face? That you really, honestly believe that?” said Ryan. “These impacts are real, and if we don’t acknowledge that and be honest about it, how can we say we’re doing right by our folks?”

Additional details on the effects of the war on the US force posture were expected to be discussed behind closed doors during a subsequent classified hearing.