On Thursday, August 6th, 2026, President Donald Trump publicly denied reports that the United States is running low on key munitions in its conflict with Iran. Trump asserted that the US has "massive amounts" of ammunition and that additional supplies are being manufactured and shipped to the region. He also warned of long prison sentences for officials leaking information about military weapons stocks.

Trump's comments came after reports that he demanded answers from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding alleged shortages during a cabinet meeting held the previous Friday at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. According to the Washington Post, Trump expressed feeling misled, believing the issue "had been fixed." Hegseth reportedly defended himself and attempted to shift blame to his deputy, Stephen Feinberg.

The US military has reportedly "nearly exhausted 80%" of its stock of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) interceptors, according to network sources. The Washington Post also reported that concerns over dwindling munitions contributed to Trump calling off further strikes against Iran, despite his repeated threats to hit the Islamic Republic "very hard."

Later on Thursday, Trump expressed support for Hegseth on social media, stating, "I am extremely happy with the job that Pete Hegseth is doing," and accused media outlets reporting shortages of "spreading false and completely unfounded rumors."

Hegseth, a former Fox News host who refers to himself as the secretary of war, recently announced a screening program for "testosterone deficiency" among US troops.

Sources