US nearly out of long-range missiles and defensive interceptors after five months of Iran war

Internal US military data, described by multiple officials to Reuters and CNN, paints a stark picture of an arsenal deeply hollowed out by five months of war against Iran. The long-range strike missile cupboard is nearly bare, and the interceptors that defend US forces and allies in the region have been consumed at a rate that alarms commanders.

Precision strike missiles almost exhausted

Two sources briefed on US military data told Reuters that the Army has used 'virtually all' of its ground-launched Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and the newer Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) since the campaign began in late February. These weapons, each costing more than $1 million, allow precise strikes from hundreds of kilometres away without risking piloted aircraft. A fourth source noted that while Central Command has drawn heavily on pre-war stocks, it has been able to reload from global US supplies. The White House issued a statement from President Donald Trump saying the US has 'far more munitions than anyone in the world' and 'far more than we need.'

Defensive interceptors hit hard

CNN reported, citing multiple sources familiar with internal Pentagon assessments, that roughly 80% of THAAD anti-ballistic-missile interceptors have been fired. Between half and two-thirds of Patriot interceptors have also been used. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) had estimated pre-war stocks at about 452 THAAD interceptors and more than 2,200 Patriots of the most modern variants. CSIS published an assessment on 31 July showing THAAD stocks are at least 38% below their pre-war level and that about 65% of Patriot interceptors had been consumed; two sources confirmed those figures match internal US data.

Pentagon and White House push back

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth disputed the depletion figure in a post on X, writing in all capitals that a CNN chyron stating 80% of THAAD missiles had been used was 'NOT TRUE' and telling the network to be ashamed. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the US military 'has everything it needs.' In a cabinet meeting on 31 July at Camp David, the president acknowledged being stretched on some advanced systems: 'Of some of the highly sophisticated stuff, we would certainly like to have more,' he said, while insisting factories are building Patriots and other equipment at record pace. Lockheed Martin signed a $58.6 billion, seven-year contract in July to surge interceptor production.

The link to the cancelled offensive

Military commanders had warned the president for weeks that defensive stocks, Patriot interceptors among them, were running down. Last week several outlets reported that Trump decided against launching another large-scale offensive on Iran partly because of those warnings, though a US official attributed the decision to pressure from Gulf allies, citing last-minute appeals from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and others. One source told Reuters that the reduction in ATACMS and PrSM stocks reflects the administration's choice to avoid riskier piloted bombing missions over heavily defended Iranian territory.

Ripple effects in Ukraine

The ammunition drain is acutely felt in Ukraine. Overnight, Russia fired 28 ballistic missiles at Kyiv and the surrounding region, none of which were intercepted. The provisional death toll stands at 17. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has renewed his urgent appeals for Patriot deliveries, but Washington has diverted missiles already paid for to the Middle East and has not authorized Ukrainian production of the systems. At the Camp David meeting, Trump said of Patriot technology: 'You give that technology, and one day, they can turn against you.' European allies, including Germany and the United Kingdom, face their own resupply constraints and cannot bridge the gap alone.