A senior Pentagon official has warned that America's missile stockpiles have been significantly depleted by the ongoing conflict with Iran, and that the United States currently lacks sufficient missiles to sustain another full-scale war against Tehran, Britain's Telegraph newspaper has reported. According to the report, concern over munitions supplies is one of the considerations that has pushed Washington to reinforce its military presence in the Middle East, including through the deployment of additional refueling aircraft. The report is based on sources who spoke with the paper rather than an official Pentagon statement.
The warning lines up with a growing body of independent analysis over recent months documenting steep drawdowns in key US munitions since fighting with Iran began. A Center for Strategic and International Studies analysis found that by the time full-scale combat between the US and Iran paused in April, the Pentagon had fired at least half of its THAAD ballistic missile interceptors, nearly half of its Patriot air defense interceptors, and roughly 30 percent of its Tomahawk land-attack missiles. Separate reporting has cited internal Pentagon estimates suggesting the U.S. burned through as much as 45 percent of its Precision Strike Missile stockpile within the war's first seven weeks alone.
Replenishment has lagged far behind the pace of use. Current fiscal year delivery schedules show the Pentagon receiving only about 15 new Tomahawks and 20 new Patriot missiles per month, with no THAAD deliveries forecast at all for 2026. CSIS has estimated it could take three or more years to rebuild those stockpiles to pre-war levels. The Guardian separately reported that the US retained only about 25 percent of its original Patriot interceptor stockpile after months of heavy use, a shortfall that has reportedly grown more acute since Iranian strikes on nuclear facilities last month prompted the use of nearly 30 additional Patriot missiles in a single exchange.
Trump administration officials have publicly downplayed the concerns. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last month that the US has no shortage of munitions and that current stockpiles allow the campaign to continue as long as necessary, while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said the United States possesses undisclosed weapons reserves that give it more than enough capability to go further if needed. Pentagon officials have also pointed to new agreements with defense contractors and allied nations, including Germany and Ukraine, aimed at expanding Patriot missile production, though experts note those efforts will take years to meaningfully close the gap.
