Trump Denies Reports of US Ammunition Shortages
President Donald Trump has spoken out regarding widespread reports that the United States is running out of ammunition amid its war with Iran, firmly denying the claims.
The issue first surfaced on 26 July 2026, when the US abruptly halted strikes after 13 consecutive days of bombing Iran. At the time, The New York Times and Axios reported that Trump had decided to postpone plans to attack Iran. The Times, citing Trump administration officials, said the president’s decision was made amid concerns that an escalation could dangerously deplete stockpiles of Patriot interceptor missiles and other air defence munitions in the Middle East. The decision reportedly followed a meeting between Trump, his top advisers, and senior cabinet members. It was said that Trump’s move reflected a willingness to allow more room for diplomacy and an acknowledgement that, without returning to major combat operations, the current level of US strikes had reached its limit of effectiveness.
In the following days, reports intensified that US ammunition supplies had dwindled to worrying levels. Senior US military commanders, according to Anadolu Agency and Reuters, acknowledged that ammunition stocks were shrinking, while US allies in the Gulf voiced concerns about shortages of air defence systems. CNN reported that the US military had used nearly 80 percent of its interceptor missile stock and roughly half of its Patriot missiles since the war with Iran began in late February. Citing sources familiar with current inventory assessments, CNN said senior US commanders privately described overall Pentagon ammunition reserves as being at critically low to dangerous levels. Previously unreported shortages of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems were also said to be compounding existing concerns over Patriot missile supplies. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated that before the war, Washington possessed approximately 2,200 variants of the most modern Patriot missiles and 452 THAAD missiles. Gulf nations reliant on US-supplied air defence systems warned that the shortages could weaken their ability to intercept Iranian missiles and drones, particularly if they faced retaliatory strikes following US attacks. A separate Reuters report, citing three sources familiar with the data, stated that the US military had used most of its long-range precision missiles during the five-month war with Iran, including Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). The drastic depletion of long-range precision missiles means Trump may have to rely more heavily on riskier manned bombing missions should he order another large-scale strike on Iran.
When asked for a response to the reports of dwindling ammunition supplies, the White House released a statement from Trump denying the claims. Trump asserted that the US has far more ammunition than any other country and far more than it needs. He stated that American defence companies are currently producing ammunition at unprecedented levels while simultaneously expanding their factories and equipment at record rates.