
“We Have More Than We Need”: Trump Dismisses Reports of Missile Shortages as White House Weighs Next Move on Iran
President Donald Trump has forcefully rejected reports suggesting he postponed a major military offensive against Iran because of dwindling U.S. missile stockpiles, insisting America has more than enough munitions to sustain any operation.
Reports published Sunday by The Wall Street Journal, confirming an earlier account by The New York Times, said Trump decided against immediately expanding the military campaign against Iran while his administration pursues diplomatic efforts aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and evaluates the implications of reduced inventories of key air defense weapons.
According to U.S. officials cited by the newspaper, the military had been prepared as of Friday to launch a large-scale series of strikes against Iran that could have continued for as long as two weeks. The operation was reportedly postponed to allow diplomatic initiatives to move forward and because senior officials were weighing how such an offensive could affect shrinking supplies of Patriot missiles and other interceptor systems.
Those officials emphasized that no final decision has been made and that Trump retains the option of authorizing the strikes if circumstances warrant, noting that the situation remains highly fluid.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has kept the White House informed about declining inventories of air defense interceptors. According to the officials, Caine believes the current stockpiles would not prevent renewed large-scale military action against Iran but could increase the risks associated with such an operation.
A spokesman for Caine declined to comment on the general’s confidential discussions with the president.
Other officials told the newspaper that Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), believes the United States can manage with current interceptor inventories because an expanded American air campaign would significantly reduce Iran’s ability to launch large-scale missile attacks. A CENTCOM spokesman declined to discuss Cooper’s operational planning.
Trump flatly rejected the suggestion that U.S. weapons supplies are becoming a limiting factor, telling The Wall Street Journal, “we have far more munitions than anyone in the world, and far more than we need.”
Before Friday’s high-level meeting on whether to broaden military operations against Iran, Trump stressed that U.S. forces remained fully prepared while leaving the door open to a diplomatic resolution.
“Look, we’re locked and loaded,” Trump told reporters Friday afternoon, adding, “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 interview with Axios published Thursday, Trump also signaled that he was seriously considering a far more expansive military campaign against Iran, declaring, “I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it.”