Trump says he will pursue leakers after reports of US munitions shortages in Iran conflict

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he will seek out individuals he describes as "leakers" after multiple news outlets reported a sharp decline in U.S. missile stockpiles used in the ongoing conflict with Iran. Reuters and CBS News said the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) inventories have been almost exhausted, and a CNN report highlighted low levels of Patriot and THAAD interceptors, with replenishment expected to take years.

Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that the United States still possesses "massive amounts of munitions" and that production and shipping are ongoing, adding that defense contractors are expanding manufacturing capacity. He warned that those responsible for leaking information would face long prison terms.

In a separate post, Trump defended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, stating he was "extremely happy" with the secretary's management of the Pentagon. The comment responded to a Washington Post story that said Trump had confronted Hegseth at a cabinet meeting, accusing him of misleading the president about ammunition shortages. Hegseth denied the allegations, calling the report inaccurate.

Analysts cited by the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that, as of late July, the military retained just over a third of its Patriot interceptors and about half of its THAAD missiles. Retired Marine Corps colonel Mark Cancian told Al Jazeera that the reduced interceptor levels are weakening U.S. deterrence against rivals such as China and increase the risk of miscalculations, noting that "we don’t have that many left, and there are no good substitutes."