US Has Used One-Third of Weapons Stockpiles in Gulf Conflict, Analyst Says

ROME, April 25. /TASS/. Since February 28, the US has used a third of its weapons stockpiles in the Gulf conflict, and it will take five to six years to replenish them, according to Gianluca Di Feo, a military analyst for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. "It will take 5-6 years to replenish the stockpiles depleted over the past month. This weakens the US in the face of its strategic rival, China. Meanwhile, efforts to bring down the Islamic Republic have failed," he writes. The author notes that Washington is attempting to secure a "symbolic victory" by occupying one of the islands in the Persian Gulf off the southern coast of Iran, where Sunni communities opposed to the Shiite authorities reside. The article states that US President Donald Trump needs a media boost amid his low popularity ratings. On February 28, the US and Israel launched a large-scale operation against Iran. On April 7, US President Donald Trump announced a two-week mutual ceasefire with Tehran. According to the Iranian side, a total of 3,375 Iranians died as a result of US and Israeli attacks over the 40 days of war. On April 11, Iran and the US held several rounds of talks in Islamabad. Both Tehran and Washington reported that the parties failed to reach an agreement on a long-term settlement due to a number of contradictions. On April 21, the US leader announced on Truth Social that Washington intends to extend the ceasefire with Iran, which was set to expire in a few hours. According to the Iranian state broadcaster, Tehran does not intend to comply with Washington's unilaterally announced extension of the ceasefire and will prioritize its own interests.