Following months of military engagement with Iran, US President Donald Trump conceded Thursday that supplies for specific high-tier munitions have grown constrained, though he maintained that the United States possesses ample stockpiles of alternative weaponry to sustain operations.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office regarding the administration's supplemental funding request submitted to Congress, the president emphasized the necessity of replenishing military reserves to ensure readiness for potential future conflicts.
“We have unlimited, virtual unlimited supply. We have others where it’s a little bit tighter," Trump stated.
He noted that lower-tier munitions remain abundantly available while defense contractors work to scale up manufacturing for key assets like Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot air-defense interceptors.
“We have certain types of munitions which are very - they may not be as accurate," he remarked, adding, “They may not be, you know, they’re not as elite."
“We have elite, too, but we’re watching that very closely," the President continued. “But we have certain types which are very powerful and very good, and we have an unlimited supply, and so we’re in great shape."
Stressing the strategic importance of rebuilding reserves for contingencies, he concluded, “We have to have more. We have other things maybe come up, maybe come up, and maybe don’t come up."
“Hopefully, nothing else does come up. But we’re in very good shape. We have literally massive amounts of ammunition."
The President's comments came in the wake of a Wednesday report published by The Washington Post, which cited two anonymous sources claiming Trump confronted Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David.
According to the account, Trump questioned Hegseth about why he had not been informed of significant missile shortages currently narrowing US operational choices against Iran, noting he assumed the problem “had been fixed.
The report further alleged that Hegseth defended his actions by shifting fault to Deputy Secretary Stephen Feinberg for failing to keep the White House adequately briefed.
Both the White House and the Department of Defense vigorously refuted the reported confrontation.
“This is 100% fake news. Literally never happened. And President Trump has the utmost confidence in Secretary Hegseth," said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell also rejected the report's premise, telling The Washington Post, “Secretary Hegseth did not mislead anyone about our munitions posture, and he did not blame Deputy Secretary Feinberg. These claims about depleted stockpiles, internal disagreements, the Secretary’s position on Iran … are equally fictional."