Hegseth denies munitions shortage after reports of depleted US missile stocks

What happened

• Reuters cited three people familiar with the data on Tuesday, 4 August; the sources declined to say how many missiles remain.
• The weapons are ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles, surface-to-surface systems costing more than $1 million each.
• CNN reported the US has expended nearly 80 percent of its THAAD interceptors and about half its Patriot stocks.
• Trump launched the war jointly with Israel in February, predicting a short conflict.
• CENTCOM has reloaded from US military supplies elsewhere in the world, a fourth source told Reuters.

The view from outside

The South China Morning Post adds analysts' assessment that such missiles would also matter in any conflict with China. Russian state agency TASS leads on the air-defence interceptors rather than on the army's surface-to-surface stocks at the centre of the Reuters report.

What could happen next

• Whether depleted stocks limit new strikes: Reuters sources say Trump may have to rely more on riskier piloted bombing missions.
• AP reported in late July that Joint Chiefs chairman Dan Caine told Trump the stocks constrain further escalation against Tehran.
• Sources fear falling supplies weaken US deterrence of Russia and China; analysts doubt record output would sustain a prolonged war.