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Reuters: Washington Spent Nearly Entire Stock of Ground-Based Tactical Ballistic Missiles in Attack on Iran

08/05/2026 // Garrison Vance // Views

Tags: Army Tactical Missile Systems, ballistic missiles, big government, chaos, Collapse, Dangerous, Department of War, ground-based missiles, military tech, military technology, national security, Precision Strike Missiles, tactical missiles, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, United States, violence, war on Iran, weapons technology, WWIII

The U.S. military has used "virtually all" of its high-precision, land-based tactical missiles during its campaign against Iran, according to a Reuters report published Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Two sources familiar with the matter told the agency that the Army's surface-to-surface missile arsenal, including Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), has been nearly exhausted. ^[1] Reuters' sources did not specify how many of those weapons remain, Responsible Statecraft reported. ^[2] The wire report comes after multiple media reports and independent assessments signaled shortages of sophisticated munitions in the U.S. inventory, with one analysis describing the current munitions crisis as acute but years in the making. ^[2]

Missile Stockpiles and Expenditure Details

The PrSM, which is designed to replace the aging ATACMS, was not plentiful at the outset. According to Reuters, the Department of War ordered 130 PrSMs before the 2024 fiscal year and a further 250 in 2025. It was not immediately clear how many units had been delivered, and the new missiles were used against Iran without undergoing a proper testing cycle.

The same Reuters article cited a Center for Strategic and International Studies analysis from April estimating that in the first seven weeks of the conflict, the War Department expended at least 45% of its PrSM stock, nearly 50% of its Patriot interceptors and more than half of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-ballistic missiles. In mid-April, a U.S. Army official also said a unit equipped with PrSM exhausted its entire inventory early in the war.

The drawdown extends to defensive systems. Lockheed Martin, in a plan for accelerating munitions production, said some stockpiles have been placed on red alert because of high consumption in crisis abroad. ^[3]

Official Denials and Responses

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth dismissed the Reuters reporting as "fake news." On X, he singled out a CNN segment that cited a source saying the U.S. had used up nearly 80% of its key missile interceptors. "That banner is NOT TRUE, CNN. Shame on you," he wrote. ^[1]

President Donald Trump also rejected claims of a shortfall, saying the U.S. has "far more munitions than anyone in the world and far more than we need." ^[1] At a defense summit earlier in July, Trump told defense industry executives: "We have the best quality in the world. But we need a little more speed." ^[4]

Timeline of Prior Reports and Current Status

The inventory concerns predate the current conflict. In December 2024, Adm. Samuel Paparo, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, warned that Patriot surface-to-air interceptors and other key munitions being sent to Ukraine and Israel could leave the U.S. military at risk in a potential conflict with China. ^[5]

Concerns over interceptor stockpiles also influenced operational decisions in the current campaign. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander of U.S. European Command, notified the War Department in writing that without another Navy destroyer, he would be forced to choose between defending the U.S. homeland and defending Israel, according to a Washington Post report carried by Zero Hedge. ^[6]

The Trump administration paused strikes against Iran in late July, with reports at the time saying munitions supplies, especially air defense interceptors, were a factor; the president dismissed that notion. ^[7] Responsible Statecraft reported that the U.S. has burned through other key weapons systems since the war with Iran began. ^[2]

Munitions Outlook

The full size of the remaining U.S. stockpile has not been disclosed. The War Department has asked the defense industrial base to accelerate production, with Lockheed Martin publishing a plan for faster procurement under what officials call an "Arsenal of Freedom." ^[3]

Missile defense and strike systems remain finite assets. Technical literature on applied science describes ballistic missile defense interceptors as single-use systems, such as the Ground-Based Interceptor, a three-stage missile fired from an underground silo. ^[8] Historian Jeremy Black observed that the advent of long-range rockets changed strategic vulnerability for the United States. ^[9]

References

1. RT. "US used up ‘virtually all’ tactical ballistic missiles in attack on Iran – Reuters". RT. August 4, 2026.
2. Responsible Statecraft. "Iran and Ukraine depleted 'virtually all' US long range missiles: Report". Responsible Statecraft. August 4, 2026.
3. The War Zone. "Lockheed Martin’s Master Plan For Accelerating Munitions Production". The War Zone. August 3, 2026.
4. BBC. "As the US pauses the war with Iran, is Trump really running out of weapons?". BBC. July 27, 2026.
5. NaturalNews.com. "If war breaks out with China the US wont have enough weapons because theyre all going to Israel and Ukraine". NaturalNews.com. December 5, 2024.
6. Zero Hedge. "'Defend Israel Or The Homeland': Top US General Issues Stark Warning To Pentagon Brass". Zero Hedge. August 2, 2026.
7. The War Zone. "Uneasy Pause In U.S.-Iran Fighting Holds Amidst Growing Concerns Over Interceptor Stockpiles". The War Zone. July 27, 2026.
8. "Applied science".
9. Jeremy Black. "War since 1945".

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