US close to full-scale war with Iran amid resource shortages – Washington Post

The United States is close to a full-scale war with Iran, but the Pentagon faces serious resource constraints that limit its options, the Washington Post reported, citing sources.

On Saturday, July 18, an Iranian strike on a US military base in Jordan killed two American soldiers. Later, CENTCOM announced the discovery of unidentified remains at the base. Additionally, on Saturday in northern Iraq, another US soldier died while conducting a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone.

President Donald Trump called the first two deaths a "very sad event." US officials speaking on condition of anonymity said Washington is preparing to expand the war, but resource shortages pose serious limitations. "We don't have enough resources to safely continue operations, and I don't think the White House realizes that," the official said.

Since the breakdown of a ceasefire eight days ago, the US has conducted airstrikes on Iranian territory every night. CENTCOM claims these strikes have successfully destroyed coastal surveillance and air defense sites, as well as missile and drone depots. Iran, in turn, said the US also struck a nuclear power plant under construction in the country's southwest.

According to the article, US military experts warn that the country is not prepared for potential ground operations in Iran. Seth Jones, director of the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said it would be a mistake to deploy ground forces on any islands in the Strait of Hormuz or on the mainland, as American troops are not ready for long-range Iranian strikes.

So far, 17 or 18 American soldiers have been killed in the conflict, and more than 430 wounded. The Pentagon has not held press briefings on operations against Iran since May 5.