USA to Resume Arms Deliveries to Estonia Suspended Due to Iran War

Estonia and the USA have reached an agreement to resume arms deliveries in the coming months, which had been temporarily suspended due to the war in Iran. The only exception is ATACMS ballistic missiles.

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur announced this to ERR.

“Currently, the supply of ammunition is permitted, with the exception of one type — ATACMS tactical missiles. Their supply remains on hold for now, primarily due to US operations in Iran. As for other types of ammunition, the supply of all of them has already been authorized. They are expected to arrive in Estonia in the coming months — we hope sooner rather than later. However, the parties are currently coordinating logistical details to determine when a plane can be dispatched to retrieve them,” he said.

In May, it was reported that the US had warned its European allies of prolonged delays in arms deliveries due to the depletion of its own stockpiles.

The delays primarily led to postponements in arms deliveries to the United Kingdom, Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia and involved ammunition for HIMARS and NASAMS systems, as well as other critically important missile systems.

The Pentagon announced at the time that it was reviewing new requests and existing contracts to align them with operational needs. The cause was significant ammunition expenditure during the recent conflict with Iran.

According to the defense minister, the biggest problem concerned ammunition for the HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems. The issue with HIMARS ammunition deliveries was even included in the annual report of the Estonian Ministry of Defense.

“As for training ammunition for the HIMARS and GMLRS rockets, the supply of all of them has already been approved. Everything that is supposed to be delivered to us will definitely be delivered. As I have already said, there is another type of ammunition for the HIMARS — ATACMS — whose supply currently depends primarily on developments in Iran,” he stated.

The Estonian TDF are equipped with six HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems (M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), which the country received on April 30, 2025. Estonia ordered three more systems of this type in April 2026.

In addition, the American defense giant Lockheed Martin will build a maintenance center for the M142 HIMARS rocket systems in Estonia.

The new facility will be a key element of infrastructure not only for Estonia but also for the entire Baltic region. Construction of the center is scheduled to be completed within two years, and the initial investment will amount to approximately 10 million euros.