Trump vows to find ‘leakers’ after reports of depleted Iran war munitions
Al Jazeera
•Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:13:37 +0000
📰 What Happened
President Donald Trump vowed on his Truth Social account to hunt down 'leakers' after Reuters, CBS and CNN reported that the US military had nearly exhausted key weapon stockpiles during the five-month US-Israeli war on Iran. Reports said offensive Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSMs) were nearly depleted, and that Patriot and THAAD interceptor levels were low, with replenishment expected to take years. Trump denied any strategic disadvantage.
🔍 The Backstory
The war on Iran began on February 28, and US and Israeli forces have relied heavily on precision-guided munitions and air-defence interceptors. Multiple earlier reports had already documented munitions depletion, but the latest reports painted a more dire picture of near-total exhaustion of certain categories during five months of combat.
🎯 Why It Matters
Depleted munitions constrain US and Israeli military options and could force reliance on more perilous close-range or aerial attacks if conflict escalates again. The administration's response, focused on finding leakers rather than addressing the shortfall, raises questions about readiness and the sustainability of the campaign.
President Donald Trump vowed on his Truth Social account to hunt down 'leakers' after Reuters, CBS and CNN reported that the US military had nearly exhausted key weapon stockpiles during the five-month US-Israeli war on Iran. Reports said offensive Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSMs) were nearly depleted, and that Patriot and THAAD interceptor levels were low, with replenishment expected to take years. Trump denied any strategic disadvantage.
The war on Iran began on February 28, and US and Israeli forces have relied heavily on precision-guided munitions and air-defence interceptors. Multiple earlier reports had already documented munitions depletion, but the latest reports painted a more dire picture of near-total exhaustion of certain categories during five months of combat.
Depleted munitions constrain US and Israeli military options and could force reliance on more perilous close-range or aerial attacks if conflict escalates again. The administration's response, focused on finding leakers rather than addressing the shortfall, raises questions about readiness and the sustainability of the campaign.