"The most powerful army" without stocks of key weapons

The US military has used up much of its stockpile of long-range, high-precision missiles during its five-month war with Iran, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, raising concerns about the military's readiness for future conflicts.

These are primarily land-based missile systems known as ATACMS and PrSM. According to two of the sources, the United States has used “almost all” of the missiles from these stocks.

It has not yet been announced to what extent the ATACMS and PrSM missile stocks have been depleted.

This long-range munition, which costs more than $1 million per missile, is an important part of the US arsenal because it allows for precise strikes from a safe distance. The ATACMS missiles, which the US supplied to Ukraine, played a significant role in the war with Russia, allowing Ukrainian forces to strike targets on Russian territory. The PrSM system represents a newer and more advanced generation of missiles, which should replace the ATACMS, which has a shorter range, in the future.

A major reduction in the stockpile of long-range precision missiles means US President Donald Trump could be forced to rely more heavily on riskier air strikes carried out by pilots if he decides to resume intensive military operations against Iran.

Sources at the British agency did not want to reveal how many missiles remained in the American stockpile.

Trump, along with Israel, launched a war against Iran in February, predicting that the conflict would be short-lived.

However, as the war dragged on, three sources familiar with the situation expressed concern that the reduction in stockpiles could limit the US's ability to deter adversaries like Russia and China.

A fourth source said that Central Command, which controls US forces in the Middle East, had almost exhausted the land-based missiles it had at its disposal before the war began, but that supplies had been replenished by transferring ammunition from other parts of the world.

All Reuters sources spoke on condition of anonymity.

When asked about stockpile data, the White House released a statement from Trump stating that the US has "far more ammunition than anyone else in the world" and "significantly more than it needs."

"Our defense companies are currently producing more ammunition than ever before, while expanding manufacturing facilities and equipment at a record pace," Trump said.

Analysts agree that certain types of ammunition, including artillery shells and several types of missiles, are being produced in record quantities, but warn that these supplies may be insufficient for a protracted war.

Lockheed Martin, which makes the ATACMS and PrSM systems, as well as the THAAD missile defense system, did not immediately respond to Reuters questions about Trump's claims and the amount of ammunition available. Raytheon, which makes the Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot interceptors, also did not comment.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said that the US military is "the most powerful in the world" and has all the necessary means to carry out the tasks assigned by the president.

One of the sources said that the reduction in ATACMS and PrSM missile stockpiles reflects the decision of the Donald Trump administration to avoid riskier methods of attacking Iranian targets, such as the use of manned aircraft for bombing.

"We have successfully conducted numerous operations in various theaters of operations, while ensuring that the U.S. military has a broad range of capabilities to protect our citizens and interests," Parnell said.

Data on ammunition stocks has been circulating among federal institutions for a week, while tense discussions are taking place within the Trump administration about how long the US can continue attacks on Iran without jeopardizing its ability to respond to potential crises in other parts of the world.

Warnings about weapons stockpiles

One of the sources said that the reduction in ATACMS and PrSM missile stocks reflects the decision of the Donald Trump administration to avoid riskier methods of attacking Iranian targets, such as the use of manned aircraft for bombing.

Because these missiles can hit targets from long distances, analysts believe they would be crucial in a potential conflict with an adversary with strong air defenses, such as China. According to a March report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), they have already been used to attack targets inside Iran.

The report states that supplies of PrSM missiles were limited from the very beginning, since it is a relatively new weapon, but also that the US military has ordered large quantities that should be delivered in 2027. The US military announced that ATACMS missiles are being gradually withdrawn from service and that production is being redirected to newer PrSM missiles.

One source said that since the start of the war, the US has used up slightly less than half of its total stockpile of Tomahawk cruise missiles, which are mostly launched from ships.

The Tomahawk is a US Navy weapon that is launched from destroyers, cruisers and submarines and has long been the main means of hitting well-established targets without exposing the pilot to danger.

According to two sources with Reuters, military officials have been warning the president for weeks that stocks of defensive weapons, including Patriot interceptor missiles, which are effective against ballistic missiles, are rapidly dwindling.

Last week, several media outlets reported that Trump had backed off from launching a new major offensive against Iran, partly because military advisors had warned him about the state of America's weapons stockpiles.

A US official disputed the allegations, claiming that Trump had called off further strikes due to pressure from Gulf states.

The conflict in the Middle East has sparked a heated debate about Trump's authority to conduct military operations against Iran without congressional approval. Neither a request for a declaration of war nor a request for authorization for the use of military force has been submitted to Congress.