Trump clashes with US defense chief as Iran missile stocks dwindle
New: a Washington Post report says ammunition shortages also helped scuttle a planned major US strike last weekend.
US President Donald Trump reportedly clashed with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David on July 31 after learning that US ammunition and missile stocks were running low amid the conflict with Iran. The Washington Post, cited by several media outlets, wrote that Trump was angry because he thought the weapons-supply problem had been resolved, but shortages of long-range guided missiles and air defense systems were still limiting Washington’s military options. The report said that factor helped prompt the cancellation of a planned major strike on Iran last weekend. CNN Indonesia also cited data showing that more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and more than 1.000 THAAD missiles had been fired in the first month of the war. The White House and Pentagon denied the report of a dispute; Karoline Leavitt called it fake news, while Sean Parnell said Hegseth had not misled anyone.