Concerns are growing over US military weapons stockpiles after extensive use of ammunition and missiles in the months-long war with Iran, according to a report published on August 12. Long-range precision missile inventories are declining quickly, raising questions about Washington’s readiness for another potential conflict. The longer the war continues, the greater the pressure on US production capacity and efforts to replenish reserves.

US officials have declined to disclose precise stockpile levels, saying such information could pose a military security risk. The issue has nevertheless prompted discussion among members of Congress and defense experts. The Congressional Research Service previously said the United States had struck thousands of targets in the Iran war and used large numbers of missiles and other munitions. Officials say supplies are currently available for necessary operations, but the status of inventories for future conflicts remains unclear.

US forces have used various precision weapons against Iranian military bases, missile launch sites, drone bases and other military facilities. Iran’s ballistic missile and drone attacks have also required the United States and its allies to use many interceptor missiles. President Donald Trump has indicated that military pressure on Iran could continue if talks do not advance.

Four sailors were killed in a suspected Houthi attack on the Egyptian-owned cargo ship Tihamah in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Yemen’s transport ministry said. Three of the dead were Pakistani and one was Indonesian. Reuters said this was the first fatality in Houthi attacks on ships since the war against Iran began. On the same Tuesday, the US military attacked a Panama-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that it said was attempting to breach a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

The Houthi-controlled Saba news agency said the Tihamah was carrying military equipment for Saudi Arabia, though Saudi authorities gave no immediate comment. The US military said the Panama-flagged vessel failed to stop despite repeated warnings. A US Navy helicopter then fired two Hellfire missiles, disabling the ship’s steering system.

Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei said the Strait of Hormuz would not reopen to shipping unless the United States accepted Iranian conditions, including releasing seized Iranian assets and ending war across the region. Reuters reported that only six ships passed through Hormuz on Monday, compared with 130 to 140 daily before the war. Oil prices rose and global stocks fell amid uncertainty over diplomatic efforts to end the five-month conflict.

Iran and Oman have reached a temporary agreement on ship movement through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report published on August 12, 2026. Former senior US diplomat Alan Eyre told Al Jazeera that the two countries agreed to a 60-day temporary “traffic separation scheme.” Under the arrangement, vessels would pass through the strait under Iranian control.

Eyre said the United States holds a “veto” over implementation of the plan. According to his account, the Iran-Oman arrangement cannot take effect without Washington’s approval. Qatar said discussions between Iran and Oman on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz had reached an “advanced stage.”

Pakistan has also intensified mediation efforts aimed at ending the war. The country’s interior minister has held discussions with Iran’s president and foreign minister. Those talks took place amid indications that a possible understanding could emerge between Tehran and Washington. The report did not provide a date for the arrangement’s implementation or describe any response from the United States.

US President Donald Trump said the United States had established “full control” over the strategically important Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing conflict with Iran. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump said the situation in Iran was progressing well. At the same time, US forces disabled the Panama-flagged cargo vessel Vela Nova with missiles as it was heading toward an Iranian port, further raising tensions around the waterway.

The US military said the vessel ignored repeated warnings. A US Navy helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles, striking the ship’s engine room and leaving it disabled. US officials said the vessel had been attempting to breach a naval blockade imposed on Iran, prompting the use of military force. All 17 crew members were safe, and no casualties were reported.

Commercial shipping through Hormuz has not returned to normal despite Trump’s claim. Only six ships passed through the strait on Monday, compared with roughly 130 to 140 vessels daily before the war. Sources said Iran and Oman were discussing the waterway’s future management, while Iran and the United States remain divided over war compensation and other conditions.

Anwar Gargash, senior diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said the Middle East cannot remain indefinitely in a state of “neither war nor peace.” In a post on X on August 11, 2026, he called for clarity of vision and objectives to support regional stability and the future of its people.

Gargash said the foundations of the future cannot be built on a “fragile foundation” or on arrangements inconsistent with international law. He said the aim should be to move toward sustainable stability based on clear and common rules. He identified peaceful coexistence, respect for sovereignty and the logic of peace as essential foundations for any lasting solution.

His comments came amid continuing tensions between the United States and Iran. Diplomatic efforts to restore a memorandum of understanding between the two countries remain unresolved, while both sides have warned about the possibility of renewed conflict. Against that backdrop, the UAE diplomat emphasized clear rules, mutual respect and diplomatic solutions as necessary for long-term stability in the Middle East.

John Mearsheimer, an international relations theorist and professor at the University of Chicago, said Iran’s ballistic missiles have demonstrated high effectiveness in attacks on US military bases and facilities in the Middle East. In comments published on August 11, 2026, he said this capability would be a major reason for a reduced US military presence in West Asia.

Mearsheimer said neither the United States nor other countries in the region have an effective solution for defending against Iranian ballistic missiles and drones. He asserted that their attacks had severely damaged or completely destroyed nearly all bases in the Middle East. He also said evidence showed US forces had withdrawn from bases in the Persian Gulf region, first to Jordan, then to Israel, and ultimately to Europe.

According to Mearsheimer, the United States is unlikely to return to the region even after the ongoing conflict ends because of the continuing missile threat and Persian Gulf countries’ reluctance to host US forces. He described current US policy as ensuring a “devastating defeat” and said Iran had resisted what he called a US-imposed war through geographic advantages, military strategy and support from Russia and China.

International oil prices rose on Tuesday after talks between Iran and the United States over reopening the Strait of Hormuz reached an impasse. Efforts to restore traffic through the important waterway were further complicated by a hard-line position from US President Donald Trump, according to the report published on August 11, 2026.

Iran presented its conditions for reopening the strait, while Trump responded by demanding that Iran provide compensation for casualties from past wars, attacks and protests. The opposing demands increased tensions between the two countries and made the prospect of quickly reopening one of the world’s key energy transport routes uncertain.

Brent crude rose to about $88 a barrel on Tuesday, while US West Texas Intermediate crude reached $82.45 a barrel. Both benchmarks were at their highest levels since July 31, following an increase of nearly 5 percent on Monday. The report said a prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could place further pressure on global oil supplies and prices because substantial volumes of energy are transported through the route.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the “Mecca Joint Defense Agreement” at Al-Safa Palace in Mecca on August 7, 2026. Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the signing. According to a joint statement cited by the report, the agreement aims to strengthen collective deterrence against aggression.

The agreement says an armed attack on any one of the three states will be regarded as an attack on all three. Specific military obligations have not been disclosed. Turkish officials described it as entirely defensive and not directed at any particular country, while the arrangement was left open to other regional states. The report says it builds on a Saudi-Pakistan strategic mutual defense agreement signed in 2025.

The report compares the pact’s collective-defense principle with NATO’s Article 5 but says it is not yet a full military alliance. It lacks an integrated command structure, permanent headquarters, joint exercises and automatic-response obligations. Each state will decide based on its own interests. The report also says Pakistan sent about 8,000 troops, JF-17 squadrons, drones and air-defense systems to strengthen Saudi defense in April 2026.

A recent mutual defense agreement among Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, known as the Mecca Pact, could strengthen India and Israel’s strategic partnership, according to a report published on August 10, 2026. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone last Thursday about recent developments in West Asia and reviewed progress in their “special strategic partnership,” Modi said in posts issued in English and Hebrew.

The day after the call, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a broad defense agreement in Mecca. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said it includes a provision modeled on NATO’s Article 5, treating an attack on one member as an attack on all. Analysts cited in the report said the emerging alignment complicates expectations of drawing Saudi Arabia closer to Israel within a US-led regional security framework.

India’s Foreign Ministry rejected reports of an urgent new India-Israel mutual defense pact as false, while spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi was closely monitoring the Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan arrangement. The report said cooperation between India and Israel could deepen on IMEC, defense technology, intelligence sharing and regional security.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called for the restoration of free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz during a telephone conversation with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said on August 10. Speaking to reporters in Tokyo after the call, Takaichi said she had urged the resumption of unrestricted and secure maritime traffic through the strategically important waterway.

According to Kyodo News, Sultan Haitham responded that Oman would consult countries using the Strait of Hormuz and respect their views. The two leaders also exchanged views on the regional situation, Muscat Daily reported. Takaichi praised Oman’s continuing efforts to promote dialogue, reduce tensions, and maintain international peace and security.

Oman and Iran are currently holding discussions over navigation through the strait, including efforts to normalize commercial shipping. The leaders also discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation between Japan and Oman in areas of mutual interest. The report said stalled talks between the United States and Iran have added uncertainty to efforts to normalize future navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran is not concerned about a new security agreement involving Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Speaking at a news conference in Tehran on Monday, August 10, 2026, he said the Mecca pact reflected a change in approaches to Middle East security.

Baghaei said the agreement signaled a shift in attitudes toward the United States and in how regional countries view security. He said states in the region were seeking to rely more on their own capabilities rather than on outside powers.

He added that any plan based on the region’s geopolitical and historical realities, that is broad and inclusive and correctly identifies enemies and threats, could help strengthen security. According to Baghaei, such a plan could also help counter instability and oppression caused by the Zionist enemy and its allies.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei said Tehran is not concerned about a new security agreement involving Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia. He made the remarks at a news conference in Tehran on Monday, according to the report.

Baghaei said the agreement signals a shift in attitudes toward the United States and in regional countries’ approaches to security. He described the shift as one in which countries in the region rely more on their own capabilities rather than on outside powers.

He said any plan based on the region’s geopolitical and historical realities, and one that is broad and inclusive, could help strengthen security if it correctly identifies enemies and threats. Baghaei added that such an approach could potentially counter instability and oppression caused by the Zionist enemy and its allies.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan plan to consider adding further countries to their new defense alliance, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said. Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s vision, the grouping would not remain limited to its three founding members. The countries signed the “Mecca Joint Deterrence Agreement” last Friday.

The agreement states that an attack on any one member will be treated as an attack on all three. Egypt has emerged most clearly as a possible next member, with Fidan calling it a natural partner and saying Cairo could join once technical issues are resolved. Egypt remains cautious about military commitments, seeking to preserve independent decision-making on relations with the United States, its peace treaty with Israel, and regional issues including Libya.

Qatar and Kuwait are also receiving attention in possible expansion because of their close ties with the three founders, analysts said. Former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani expressed hope that other GCC members would seek to join. Analysts also cited Azerbaijan, Syria and Jordan as possible future participants, while noting differing interests and regional disputes could hinder a unified military bloc.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the Mecca Joint Defense Pact signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is entirely defensive and not aimed at any country. The agreement was signed in Mecca on Friday, and Dar outlined Pakistan’s position in a statement posted on X.

Dar said the pact’s sole purpose is to strengthen ongoing joint efforts for peace, stability and prosperity across the wider region. Under the agreement, an attack on any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack on all three. The same provision applies if any member faces an external armed attack.

He said the arrangement is consistent with the right to individual and collective self-defense recognized under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. Dar added that regional countries may join if they accept the pact’s basic principles and seek mutual respect, cooperation and peaceful resolution of differences. He also said the pact will not cancel, replace or affect existing bilateral or multilateral agreements among the three states, or their agreements with other countries and international organizations.

Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja Asif called on Muslim countries to unite against Israel hours after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed a joint defense agreement in Mecca, according to an August 9 report cited by Israel-based Times of Israel. Italian political adviser and geopolitical analyst Sergio Restelli said Pakistan appeared interested in giving the pact a wider purpose resembling a European NATO-style Islamic military framework.

Under the agreement, an armed attack on one member would be treated as an attack on all three. The report described their combined population as about 380 million. Restelli said the formal document avoids naming an adversary and is defensive on paper, but Asif’s remarks highlighted Israel and India as potential common opponents. Pakistan contributes nuclear weapons and a large professional military, Turkey brings combat experience and a growing defense industry, while Saudi Arabia offers financial resources and political influence.

The report said the members have differing positions on Israel. Turkey recognizes Israel, while Saudi Arabia faces complexities involving possible normalization and wider strategic considerations. An explicitly anti-Israel interpretation could therefore create difficulties for Riyadh. Whether Saudi Arabia and Turkey share Pakistan’s broader ambitions will determine the pact’s future, Restelli said.