President Donald Trump has rejected reports claiming that the United States is running out of munitions in its fight against Iran.
Responding to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Trump said the US has more than enough weapons and ammunition. “We have far more munitions than anyone in the world, and far more than we need,” Trump said.
The report had claimed that the US was facing a shortage of air defence interceptors and specialised missile defence systems used to detect, track and destroy incoming enemy missiles and aircraft.
It claimed the US military was ready to launch a series of strikes on Iran on Friday. The operation could have continued for up to two weeks. However, Trump decided to put it on hold as US officials were worried that a major military operation could reduce the country’s stock of important defence missiles.
The report further said US military officials were keeping a close watch on the stock of some of the country’s most important weapons. These include Patriot missiles, Tomahawk missiles and SM-3 interceptors.
According to the report, Gen. Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, informed the White House that the stock of these interceptor missiles is falling.
Trump, however, rejected the claims and insisted that the US military has sufficient ammunition and remains fully prepared.
The White House also reportedly said that publishing updated figures on how many Patriot and THAAD missiles the US has used since the war began could affect national security.
After rejecting the reports, Trump shared several AI-generated images on his Truth Social platform, including one showing warplanes bombing Iran’s Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export hub. The image carried the caption “STRIKE ON KHARG”.
Trump also shared an AI-generated graphic on his Truth Social account that appeared to project American military strength. The image showed a giant version of Trump standing behind a US bomber aircraft marked “U.S.A.”, while explosions were seen over an area labelled “IRAN.” It also carried the title “Guardian of the World.”
In one series of posts, he shared images with the caption “It’s Our Oil Tanker now!” The AI-generated pictures showed Trump standing on what appeared to be an Iranian oil tanker while holding an American flag. Some versions also included US soldiers and people who appeared to be Iranian religious leaders.
He later shared another AI-generated image with the caption “Goodbye, Engine Room,” showing what looked like an Iranian ship exploding.
The report said that the US has already fired seven types of major weapons in the war.
Military experts Mark Cancian and Chris Park, who updated an earlier assessment, estimated that the US has used at least 1,500 Patriot interceptor missiles since the war began. According to their estimate, the US now has fewer than 1,000 Patriot interceptor missiles left.
