The U.S. government is struggling to give a straight answer when it comes to a critical issue: ammunition.
On one hand, it claims the U.S. has plenty of ammunition—even saying Trump significantly boosted stockpiles to an “unlimited” level. On the other hand, it blames the Biden administration for depleting those stocks, asking Congress for massive funding to replenish them, while warning of shortages if the money doesn’t come through.
On Monday, July 27 (local time), Trump pushed back against worries that the U.S. military might face ammunition shortages after months of airstrikes against Iran. He told reporters on Air Force One: “We have a lot of ammunition.” Then he added, “Honestly, I wish we had more, but we’ve already given too much to Ukraine as aid for their defense against Russia’s invasion.”
Trump also claimed his predecessor, Biden, sent “unprecedented amounts.”
A perfect example of this confusing messaging came from U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
When asked about recent reports of concerns over ammunition stockpiles—just before the U.S. paused strikes on Iran on Friday—Waltz, like Trump, shifted the blame to the Biden administration.
Waltz said, “Secretary Hegseth took over a depleted situation from the Biden administration—not just with Ukraine, but also the ongoing battles with the Houthis during Biden’s term, and a weakened military under Biden’s leadership.”
But when NBC’s Kristen Welker pressed him on whether he was admitting the stocks were actually depleted, Waltz backtracked, claiming he wasn’t.
He said, “No, let me be very clear: I’ve checked from all sides, and the U.S. military has everything it needs to carry out this operation.”
According to a July 25 report from the New York Times, Trump has at least temporarily shelved plans for a major escalation of military strikes against Iran. Senior U.S. officials are particularly worried that further escalation would overconsume the Patriot interceptor missiles and other air defense munitions deployed in the Middle East—supplies that are already critically low, putting U.S. forces at greater risk in the event of Iranian retaliation.
U.S. officials say the shortage of interceptor missiles is just one of many factors; restarting large-scale combat operations itself carries enormous risks. Trump and his top aides also fear that widening the Middle East war could provoke Iranian retaliation against America’s Gulf allies, damage U.S. relations with those allies, and put additional pressure on the global economy, energy supplies, and refugee crises.
CNN commented on the 27th that a war with Iran might not only be futile but could also harm U.S. national security and its ability to deter hostile foreign powers in the short term.
The report notes that no matter the true state of ammunition stockpiles, this is a potentially huge problem for the Trump administration—not just in how long the U.S. can sustain a war with Iran, but also in shaping American foreign policy long after the conflict ends.