United States (US) President Donald Trump has privately expressed frustration over public disclosures detailing shrinking munitions stockpiles, arguing that the leaks make the country appear weak as he threatens further military action to pressure Iran into reaching a deal.
Sources cited by an international media outlet revealed that Trump raised the issue during a cabinet meeting at Camp David last week, focusing his anger on media coverage describing low missile stocks.
Although Trump had been aware of potential shortages for months, his frustration centred on the timing of the disclosures and the growing public debate at a moment when he sought to project US strength.
Addressing the reports on Truth Social shortly after midnight on Thursday, Trump asserted that the US possesses massive amounts of munitions, with defence companies building a record number of manufacturing plants while large quantities continue to be shipped as needed.
However, he appeared to confirm that supplies of certain advanced weapons were limited, threatening long-term jail sentences for those responsible for leaking the information.
Speaking later in the Oval Office, Trump acknowledged that specific munitions were in tighter supply, though he maintained that the military retains a virtually unlimited supply of less advanced weaponry.
White House officials clarified that Trump’s anger was directed entirely at internal leakers rather than Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, whom Trump praised in a separate Truth Social post for doing an excellent job.
Describing the leaks as treasonous, Trump instructed the Justice Department to identify the individuals within the administration responsible for releasing the information.
The developments follow disclosures from several sources familiar with military data, who revealed that the US has used up much of its highly accurate long-range missile inventory specifically Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) during its five-month war with Iran.
Reports also quoted sources as saying that the military had used virtually all of said multi-million-dollar weapons, which allow precise strikes from safe distances and have also played a significant role in Ukraine.
This severe depletion in long-range precision munitions means Trump may have to rely on riskier, piloted bombing missions if large-scale military attacks against Iran are resumed.
