RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesUS president Donald Trump on Sunday dismissed reports that the Pentagon is facing critical shortages of air defence interceptors. Insisting the United States has ample military stockpiles, Trump pushed back against growing concerns raised by defence officials and recent media reports over the ongoing conflict with Iran.In a statement to The Wall Street Journal, Trump said, "We have far more munitions than anyone in the world, and far more than we need."Trump's remarks came after few US media outlets reported that senior military leaders had warned the White House that a wider military campaign against Iran could dangerously deplete stocks of Patriot missile interceptors and other air defence systems deployed across the Middle East.Meanwhile, earlier on Monday, Trump also shared a series of AI-generated images on Truth Social portraying American military dominance, particularly against Iran, while promoting themes tied to his political messaging. One image titled ‘Guardians of the World’ showed US fighter jets striking targets labelled ‘IRAN’, with warships patrolling below and a towering depiction of Trump overlooking the scene.According to a New York Times report, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Dan Caine privately advised that while expanded operations against Iran remained feasible, they would significantly strain interceptor supplies allocated to US central command.The report said concerns intensified after three US service members were killed in Jordan when a ballistic missile penetrated American air defences during a barrage of Iranian drones and missiles. Military leaders also warned that dwindling interceptor inventories could leave US troops, Gulf allies and key regional installations vulnerable to retaliatory attacks if the conflict escalated further.Citing two sources familiar with the matter, Axios reported that US central command chief Brad Cooper recommended halting the bombing campaign around the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that it had reached the limits of its effectiveness.However, according to a WSJ report, despite the concerns, Cooper believes existing inventories can support current operations. According to officials cited by the newspaper, the strategy involves expanding US strikes — subject to Trump's approval — to reduce Iran's missile-launch capability before large-scale attacks can be launched.The newspaper also reported that the White House declined to release updated figures on Patriot and Thaad interceptor usage, arguing that publishing such data would pose a national security risk.According to updated estimates by centre for strategic and international studies analysts Mark Cancian and Chris Park cited by journal, the US has used at least 1,500 Patriot interceptors since the conflict began, leaving an estimated inventory of fewer than 1,000.In an earlier assessment published in April, the analysts warned that "the diminished munitions stockpiles have created a near-term risk," adding that "a war against a capable peer competitor like China will consume munitions at greater rates than in this war."White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said that the US military had all the resources required to execute any mission ordered by the president.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
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