The US warned Europe of likely delays in weapons deliveries because of the war against Iran – Reuters

The United States has warned a number of European countries about likely delays in weapons deliveries under previously signed contracts.

This was reported by Reuters, citing five sources.

According to the agency, U.S. officials say the weapons are needed for the war in the Middle East and accuse European countries of failing to help the United States and Israel reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the sources, delays are expected in deliveries to a number of European countries, including some in the Baltic region and Scandinavia. Part of the weaponry in question had been purchased by European countries under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program — the U.S. system for overseas arms sales, which provides for the purchase of American-made weapons with logistical support and approval from the U.S. government.

In recent days, U.S. officials told their European counterparts that these deliveries would likely be postponed, the sources said. The White House and the State Department referred requests for comment to the Pentagon, which did not respond to the agency.

As Reuters notes, under Donald Trump the United States has been pushing its European NATO allies to increase purchases of American military equipment, including through the FMS program. In this way, Washington is seeking to shift responsibility for Europe’s conventional defense from itself onto European countries. However, deliveries of such weapons are often delayed, causing dissatisfaction in Europe, where there is growing attention to domestically produced weapons systems.

U.S. officials say the weapons are needed for the war in the Middle East and accuse European countries of failing to help the United States and Israel reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Reuters report says.

The Wall Street Journal reported on April 15 that the Trump administration wants more active involvement from U.S. automakers and other industrial companies in weapons production — similar to the practice during World War II. According to the newspaper’s sources, senior Pentagon officials have already held talks on this issue with executives from companies such as General Motors and Ford Motor.

Other participants in the discussions included, among others, GE Aerospace and Oshkosh, the WSJ wrote. According to the newspaper, Pentagon representatives told the companies that traditional defense contractors might need their support, and asked whether these firms could quickly switch to defense production. At the same time, sources said the talks so far had been preliminary in nature.