RT.com
05 Aug 2026, 02:49 GMT+10
The agency's sources appear to confirm reports circulating since April of a crisis in Washington's stockpiles
The US military has effectively run out of high-precision land-based tactical missiles due to its campaign against Iran, Reuters has reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Multiple media reports and independent assessments have signaled shortages of critical sophisticated munitions in the US inventory since a Center for Strategic and International (CSIS) report published in April. Apart from draining the Pentagon's attack capabilities, the conflict is believed to have put a major dent in the US stock of anti-aircraft missiles. The country's leadership has repeatedly denied such assertions, insisting it still has plenty of munitions.
According to Reuters sources the Iran conflict has depleted the US Army's stock of surface-to-surface missiles, namely Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), with two sources telling the agency the military has used "virtually all" of those weapons.
While the degree to which the US military exhausted its stock of ATACMS was not previously known, the apparent exhaustion of the PrSM stock has been repeatedly reported since mid-April. The munition, slated to replace the aging ATACMS, was not plentiful to begin with - the Pentagon had ordered 130 before the 2024 fiscal year and a further 250 in 2025, and it was not immediately clear how many units had actually been delivered. The new missiles ended up being used against Iran without undergoing a proper testing cycle.
In mid-April, a US Army official admitted that a unit equipped with PrSM exhausted its entire inventory early in the conflict. Later that month, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released an analysis concluding that the US military had dangerously depleted its stockpiles of critical munitions in the war on Iran. Namely, in the first seven weeks the Pentagon expended at least 45% of its PrSM stock, nearly 50% of its Patriot interceptors, and over half of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missiles, according to the assessment.
Late last month, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported that US President Donald Trump had opted to shelve a new major attack on Iran because of the dwindling supply of air defense missiles. The US leader dismissed those claims however, insisting the US has "far more munitions than anyone in the world and far more than we need."
Get a daily dose of Milwaukee Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Milwaukee Sun.
More InformationABOARD AIR FORCE ONE/DUBAI: Iran said on August 3 that there were no ongoing talks with the United States and no plans for any meetings,...
HOUSTON, TEXAS: ExxonMobil and Chevron said tight global supplies of diesel and other refined fuels are likely to keep prices elevated...
ZURICH, Switzerland: FIFA has reportedly abandoned plans to sell a minority stake in a new commercial entity after facing widespread...
BEIJING, China: China's military carried out joint air and naval drills near the disputed Scarborough Shoal on August 1, according...
SYDNEY, Australia: Australia's government defended its ban on social media for children under 16 on August 1, even as new data showed...
KYIV, Ukraine: Russia carried out a large missile and drone attack on Kyiv and nearby areas early on August 1, killing 10 people. ...
(Photo credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images) The Tampa Bay Rays were active right up to Monday night's trade deadline, and their...
(Photo credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images) The Milwaukee Brewers will look to bounce back behind Logan Henderson when they host the...
(Photo credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images) Alec Burleson hit three two-run homers for the St. Louis Cardinals, who rallied for a 13-7...
(Photo credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images) The San Diego Padres beefed up their rotation by adding former Cy Young Award winner Robbie...
(Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images) The Pittsburgh Pirates' National League wild-card aspirations took a hit on Monday...
(Photo credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images) The Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees, who both bolstered their rosters ahead...
