'Far more than we need': Trump fires back as reports question US missile stockpiles
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump dismissed reports that the United States is running short on munitions for the conflict with Iran, insisting the military has "far more munitions than anyone in the world, and far more than we need."
His comments directly challenged reports that missile stockpile concerns influenced discussions about expanding military action. At the same time, the administration continued signaling it is giving diplomacy room while keeping the option of renewed strikes on the table.
Trump rejects munitions shortage reports
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal published Sunday, July 26, Trump pushed back on reports from the New York Times and other outlets that declining inventories of Patriot and other air defense interceptors had become part of internal deliberations over whether to widen the US military campaign against Iran.
Instead, Trump projected confidence in America's military capabilities while emphasizing that diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remain active.
That dual message was reinforced across multiple elevision appearances by US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz.
Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press, Waltz declared, "The US military, and I've verified this every which way, has everything that it needs to conduct this campaign as effectively as it needs to be."
He added that Trump is "keeping all options on the table" while allowing negotiations "some space" to continue.
Waltz also lashed out at those behind reports about military inventories, saying, "I have to tell you, the people that are leaking this nonsense deserve to be in jail."
While defending current readiness, Waltz acknowledged that years of military support for Ukraine and operations against the Houthis had strained some inventories before Trump returned to office.
He argued the administration is rebuilding stockpiles while shifting toward newer and less expensive weapons systems.
Military plans remain ready as diplomacy continues
The administration's public defense came after reports that Trump delayed a planned expansion of the air campaign following a Friday meeting with senior advisers.
According to the Wall Street Journal, military planners had prepared an expanded operation lasting up to two weeks before Trump chose to give diplomacy additional time.
The newspaper reported that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Dan Caine briefed senior officials on declining Patriot interceptor inventories, assessing that reduced stockpiles increased operational risk but would not prevent further military action if Trump ordered it.
Separate reporting by Axios said US Central Command commander Adm Brad Cooper recommended ending the current bombing campaign around the Strait of Hormuz unless the United States intended to launch a broader operation, concluding that most designated targets had already been struck.
Trump keeps pressure on Tehran
Even while negotiations continued, Trump repeatedly stressed that military action remains an option.
Before Friday's White House meeting, he told reporters, "Look, we're locked and loaded. We're ready to go, but we're talking to them, so maybe there will be, maybe there won't be a tipping point."
In an Axios interview last week, Trump said he was considering "a massive attack" against Iran that would be "bigger than ever before" if diplomacy failed.
During a phone interview Saturday with French outlet LCI, he added that he would resume full-scale military operations "if we don't get 100% of what we want, absolutely."
Trump also maintained public pressure on Sunday by posting AI-generated images on Truth Social depicting strikes against Iranian energy and maritime targets, including one captioned "STRIKE ON KHARG," referring to Iran's principal oil export terminal on Kharg Island, alongside additional posts emphasizing continued pressure on Tehran while negotiations remain underway.
