The White House and Pentagon have pushed back against recent reports suggesting that US supplies of both offensive and defensive munitions have dropped to dangerously low levels following five months of conflict with Iran.

Experts have expressed concern that low stockpiles of air defence interceptors, especially those used in Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems, could pose significant risks to US forces and have broader implications for allied nations in the region and beyond. CNN reported that the US military has depleted approximately 80% of its THAAD interceptors and about half of its Patriot interceptors since the war began.

Shortages of offensive weapons such as ATACMs and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) have also been noted. Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps colonel and senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), explained that if these munitions run low, the military would need to rely on alternative strike methods, including air-delivered or sea-delivered missiles like Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) or Tomahawk missiles, which may require riskier operations over enemy territory.

Former President Donald Trump criticized the Biden Administration, claiming, “We have far more munitions than anyone in the world, and far more than we need, despite the fact that an unprecedented amount was given away by Crooked Joe Biden and the Biden Administration to Ukraine and Europe at no cost, in one of many of their extremely dumb moves.”

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted on August 5th, 2026, that Kyiv has received significantly fewer air defence interceptors this year, amounting to just a third of the deliveries compared to the same period last year.

Additional developments include reports that the US and Oman are close to an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran is reportedly boosting its military strength during a ceasefire with the US.

Sources