US Administration Dismisses Reports of Dangerous Weapons Shortage

The White House and the Pentagon have pushed back against a series of recent reports suggesting that US offensive and defensive weapons supplies have dropped to dangerous levels after five months of war with Iran.

According to experts, a shortage of air-defense interceptor missiles—particularly those used in Patriot and THAAD systems—could pose a particular threat to US forces, with knock-on effects for regional allies and beyond.

In a statement provided to Al Jazeera on Tuesday from the White House, President Donald Trump dismissed allegations that the US is facing a shortage in current supplies.

“We have more ammunition than anyone in the world, and more than we need, although an unprecedented amount was given to Ukraine and Europe by the crooked Joe Biden and the Biden administration for free, one of their extremely stupid actions,” Trump said, referring to the transfer of Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine under former President Joe Biden following Russia's invasion.

Trump also pointed to new efforts to ramp up weapons production, though experts question whether air-defense missile supplies can be expanded in a timely manner. “And as we build up our forces, we will begin giving more to allies in Europe and elsewhere,” Trump said.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell also insisted that the US is not facing serious difficulties on this matter. “The US military is the most powerful force in the world and has everything it needs to act at the time and place of the President's choosing,” Parnell said in a statement to Al Jazeera. “We have conducted multiple successful campaigns across regional commands while ensuring that the US military possesses a deep arsenal to protect our people and interests.”

Reports of shortages

Several reports on Monday indicated that the situation may be more serious than US officials publicly acknowledge. CNN reported that the US military had depleted 80% of its pre-war THAAD interceptor missiles and about half of its Patriot interceptors, with sources describing the levels as “dangerous.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth quickly refuted the 80% figure and the characterization of the threat, writing on social media platform X that it was “not true” and “shameful for the media.”

In an analysis published on July 27 by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the think tank calculated that, as of that date, the US military had just over one-third of its Patriot interceptor missiles and about half of its THAAD interceptors. CSIS estimated that it would take at least three years, even with a series of recent funding infusions, to restore supplies to pre-war levels.

Reuters and CBS News also separately reported that the military has used up much of its Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). Unlike Patriot and THAAD interceptors, these highly accurate long-range missiles are used in attacks. Two sources told Reuters that “almost all” of the missiles, which cost about $1 million each, had been expended.

No official of the Trump administration has publicly acknowledged any threat from ammunition shortages, although the administration has requested $95 billion in the fiscal year 2027 defense budget and $21 billion in supplemental funding requests to replenish stockpiles. Multiple media reports said that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine has repeatedly expressed concerns behind closed doors. The New York Times reported in late July that concerns about weapons supplies were at least one of the factors behind Trump's decision to pull back from a larger escalation that month.

This comes after a memorandum between Washington and Tehran that ended fighting in June collapsed, leading to nearly two weeks of attacks from both sides.

Implications of shortages

Experts say that shortages of both offensive and defensive weapons could make US forces less safe. According to Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps colonel and senior adviser at CSIS, the lack of offensive ATACMS and PrSM diminishes the Army's ability to strike from a distance, forcing the use of shorter-range attacks that are more likely to put troops in danger. “For ATACMS and PrSM, if they're exhausted, you have to use other mechanisms, like air-launched or sea-launched missiles, possibly JASSM or Tomahawk, to strike deep targets, or send aircraft over enemy territory,” Cancian said. “That's more dangerous, and you really have to suppress all air defenses.”

However, the shortage of air-defense interceptors is “much more serious,” Cancian said. “When it comes to missile defense… we don't have much left, and there's no good substitute. If you run out of Patriots, missiles will get through.”

This concern is underscored by the July 17 attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, where three US soldiers were killed when Iranian missiles penetrated the air defenses of US and Jordanian forces. After five months of war, Iran's military capabilities remain unclear, but Tehran is unlikely to exhaust the remaining US interceptors in the short term, Cancian assessed.

However, with current stockpiles, each interception of an Iranian attack weakens US deterrence against military powers such as China. “Every missile used is one less to deter China,” Cancian said, “and we're at the point where the Joint Chiefs are really worried about that.”

Meanwhile, NBC News and other US media reported that the military has taken a more cautious approach to intercepting Iranian attacks assessed as unlikely to cause significant damage. This strategy may conserve interceptors, but it could also increase the risk of miscalculation.

'It's a question of time'

The reported US shortage of air-defense missiles is also a concern for allies. The US sells Patriot missiles and, to a lesser extent, THAAD interceptors to allies in the Middle East. In May, the Trump administration announced an additional $25 billion in sales of Patriot missiles and related services to Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, and Qatar. The US has also long provided these weapons to Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel.

There have been reports of delays in delivering offensive weapons to European and Asian allies, although no reports have emerged of delays in delivering air-defense missiles to Middle Eastern allies. “That is almost certainly going to change,” Cancian said, “and the US will try to retain more interceptors to replenish its own stockpiles.”

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned of dwindling Patriot missile supplies to intercept Russian attacks. He has repeatedly sought US approval to produce these weapons in Ukraine, a right currently held only by Japan and Germany. On Wednesday, Zelenskyy said allies have provided Kyiv with far fewer air-defense interceptors in 2026, only a third of the deliveries compared with the same period last year.

Even with substantial funding, Cancian said the US short-term shortage of interceptors will not be resolved anytime soon. “Money won't be the issue,” he said, “It's a question of time.”