President Donald Trump has strongly denied reports that U.S. military weapon stockpiles are dwindling, stating that he is tracking down insiders who leaked the information.
On August 6, Trump posted on social media platform Truth Social, asserting, "The United States has a tremendous amount of weapons, especially certain types, and large quantities are being produced and supplied to the U.S. as needed."
He added, "Defense contractors are building the most factories and production facilities in U.S. history," and indicated that he would seek long prison sentences for those who spread what he called treasonous claims.
Trump's comments come amid reports that the prolonged conflict in Iran has led to dangerously low levels of U.S. military offensive and defensive missile stockpiles.
The Washington Post reported the day before, citing two sources, that Trump had pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on ammunition shortages during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David on July 31. Trump reportedly expressed dissatisfaction, believing the stockpile issues had already been resolved and that he had not been properly informed about the situation.
According to the Post, U.S. forces used more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and over 1,000 Patriot and THAAD interceptors in the first month of the conflict. The Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) also reportedly fired over 1,300 rounds in the initial weeks of the war.
Reuters and CNN also reported on August 4 that U.S. forces had utilized most of their ATACMS and precision strike missile (PrSM) stockpiles in the Iran conflict, with significant reductions in Tomahawk, THAAD, and Patriot inventories.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated that approximately 65% of Patriot interceptors were depleted from February to July, and THAAD stockpiles had decreased by at least 38% compared to pre-war levels. They projected that it could take at least three years to restore THAAD stockpiles to pre-war levels.
Both the White House and the Defense Department have denied the related reports. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt called the Post's report about Trump reprimanding Hegseth "100% fake news."
Sean Parnell, the Defense Department's chief spokesperson, emphasized that U.S. forces have the capability to conduct operations at the time and place chosen by the President. Hegseth also refuted CNN's report about depleted missile stockpiles, stating, "That is not true."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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