US Missile Stockpiles Strained by Prolonged Iran Campaign

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON- The United States has depleted much of its inventory of long-range precision missiles during its five-month military campaign against Iran, according to three people familiar with internal stockpile data, prompting concerns among some U.S. officials about the military’s readiness to respond to future crises involving other adversaries.

The munitions in question include the U.S. Army’s Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the newer Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), both designed to strike targets accurately from long distances while reducing risks to personnel. Two of the sources said the military had used “virtually all” of its available stocks of the two missile types during the conflict.

The extent of the drawdown has not previously been reported. The sources declined to disclose the number of missiles remaining, citing the sensitivity of the information, and spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal military data publicly.

The prolonged conflict began in February after U.S. President Donald Trump launched military operations jointly with Israel, predicting the campaign would be brief. As fighting has continued for months, officials familiar with internal discussions said concerns have grown within the administration over whether shrinking inventories of precision-guided weapons could limit Washington’s ability to deter or respond to potential conflicts involving countries such as Russia or China.

A fourth person familiar with the matter said U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, has largely exhausted the land-based missile stocks it possessed at the start of the war. However, the command has continued operations by drawing replacement munitions from inventories stationed elsewhere in the global U.S. military network.

Responding to questions about the reported stockpile levels, the White House released a statement from Trump rejecting concerns about shortages. The president said the United States possessed more munitions than any other country and more than it required, while adding that American defense manufacturers were expanding production and increasing manufacturing capacity.

The Pentagon also dismissed suggestions that operational readiness had been compromised. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the U.S. military remained fully capable of carrying out missions whenever directed by the president and retained a deep arsenal of military capabilities to protect U.S. interests.

Industry analysts broadly agree that production of several key weapons, including artillery ammunition and some missile systems, has increased significantly in recent years. However, they have also cautioned that sustained, high-intensity conflicts can consume precision-guided munitions faster than manufacturers can replenish them.

According to one source, the heavy reliance on ATACMS and PrSM reflected a policy decision by the Trump administration to reduce the need for riskier missions involving crewed aircraft. Because the missiles allow forces to strike heavily defended targets from long range, they are regarded as particularly valuable in conflicts where advanced air defense systems pose significant threats.

A March report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the missiles had been employed against targets inside Iran. The report also noted that PrSM inventories were relatively limited because the system is still entering service, although the U.S. Army has placed substantial procurement orders for delivery in 2027 as it transitions away from the older ATACMS.

Officials familiar with internal discussions said military leaders have also warned the administration for weeks that stocks of defensive interceptors, including Patriot missiles used against ballistic threats, were falling. Several media organizations reported last week that Trump had decided against launching another major offensive against Iran partly because advisers warned about declining inventories, although one U.S. official disputed that account and said the decision instead reflected pressure from Gulf states.

The conflict has also intensified debate in Washington over the president’s authority to conduct sustained military operations against Iran without congressional authorization. No request for a declaration of war or a specific authorization to use military force has been submitted to Congress.

Separate concerns extend beyond offensive missiles. A recent report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that approximately 65% of Patriot interceptors had been expended between February and July and that stocks of THAAD interceptors had declined by at least 38% during the same period. Two of the sources said those estimates were consistent with internal U.S. government data reviewed during recent discussions.

One source also said the United States had consumed slightly less than half of its global inventory of Tomahawk cruise missiles since the beginning of the campaign, although Reuters could not independently verify that figure. Raytheon, a unit of RTX that manufactures Tomahawk missiles, has reached a tentative multi-year agreement with the Pentagon aimed at increasing production as Washington seeks to rebuild inventories depleted during the conflict.