WP: Trump clashed with Hegseth over American missile shortage
US President Donald Trump allegedly demanded explanations from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding a critical depletion of ammunition stocks. The conversation reportedly took place last Friday at Camp David, The Washington Post reported, citing two knowledgeable sources.
According to the sources, Trump believed that the ammunition problem had already been resolved. Of particular concern is the shortfall of long-range guided missiles and air defense interceptors. One source claims that the weapon shortage was one of the reasons the US president has refrained from new large-scale strikes on Iran in recent days.
During the conversation, Hegseth allegedly stated that Trump was not sufficiently informed about the state of inventories and placed part of the blame on his deputy, Stephen Feinberg.
The White House categorically denied reports of a conflict. The president's spokeswoman, Caroline Leavitt, called it "one hundred percent fake" and said Trump fully trusts the defense secretary.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell also stated that Hegseth misled no one regarding ammunition stocks and did not blame Feinberg. According to him, reports of arsenal depletion and internal disputes do not correspond to reality.
At the same time, CBS News, citing two sources directly familiar with the situation, reported that during the five-month war with Iran, the US has used almost all available ATACMS missiles and new Precision Strike Missiles. The sources called the reduction of Patriot and THAAD interceptor stocks the most acute problem, as they are being expended faster than the defense industry can produce them.
American ATACMS missiles and Patriot interceptors are also needed by Kyiv, while the ability to quickly replenish Ukrainian air defense from Western stocks remains limited.
Pentagon leadership has asked Congress to allocate an additional $67 billion to cover the costs of the war with Iran and replenish arsenals. Even after new production contracts are concluded, delivery of complex missiles could take years.
Based on materials from: The Washington Post, CBS News
