The United States Army has nearly exhausted its global stockpile of two critical long-range precision missiles during the five-month military campaign against Iran, according to three sources with knowledge of internal US data. The depletion has sparked urgent discussions within the Trump administration about the sustainability of continued strikes and the military's ability to deter adversaries like Russia and China.
Missiles in Question
The weapons at the center of the concern are the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the newer Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), both surface-to-surface munitions costing over $1 million each. Two of the three sources said the US has used "virtually all" of these weapons since the conflict began in February, when President Donald Trump launched the war jointly with Israel, anticipating a swift resolution.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the depletion has triggered tense internal discussions over the past week about how much longer the US can sustain its campaign before the drawdown compromises its ability to respond to crises elsewhere, including potential confrontations with Russia or China.
White House Response
Asked to comment, the White House issued a statement from Trump, who asserted the US has "far more munitions than anyone in the world" and "far more than we need." He added: "Our defense companies are, at this moment, making more munitions than they have ever made before, in addition to expanding their plants and equipment at record levels."
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a separate response: "America's military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President's choosing."
A fourth source acknowledged the high usage rate but noted that Central Command, which oversees US forces in the Middle East, has been restocking from military supplies held globally.
Defensive Stockpiles Also Depleted
Beyond offensive missiles, defensive stockpiles have suffered significant losses. A report by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) last week estimated that roughly 65% of Patriot interceptors were used between February and July, while THAAD ballistic missile interceptors fell by at least 38%. Two sources confirmed these figures matched internal US data.
One source also said the US has consumed just under half of its global Tomahawk cruise missile supply, launched from naval vessels such as destroyers, cruisers, and submarines.
Advisers' Warnings and Geopolitical Pressure
Military advisers have reportedly warned Trump for weeks about shrinking stockpiles. While some accounts suggest these warnings influenced Trump's decision not to launch another major offensive inside Iran, a US official said that decision was driven instead by pressure from Gulf states.
Lockheed Martin, which manufactures both ATACMS and PrSM, and Raytheon, producer of Tomahawk and Patriot systems, did not respond to requests for comment.
Related Cyber Threat
In a separate development, the US is investigating suspected Iranian involvement in cyber-attacks targeting water systems in at least seven states. Minnesota reported over 30 of its water systems were hit in what officials described as a coordinated attack. The FBI confirmed some attacks degraded water operations, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is looking into a possible Iranian connection, though it declined to comment publicly.
