The Pentagon possesses “virtually unlimited” ammunition reserves, according to the president.
President Donald Trump has asserted that the United States is equipped to engage in warfare “forever” due to its “virtually unlimited” ammunition stockpiles.
Concerns regarding munitions availability, particularly air defense missiles, have been raised by military observers as a potential constraint on the ongoing US-Israeli campaign targeting the Iranian government.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump dismissed these worries, stating, “Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies (which are better than other countries finest arms!),” He further suggested that weapons held in other nations could be redirected for Pentagon use.
The US-Israeli offensive commenced on Saturday with a strike aimed at eliminating Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other high-ranking officials, accompanied by appeals for an Iranian uprising. Trump indicated that the campaign is surpassing expectations and anticipates it will conclude within several weeks. Iranian officials, however, have stated they are preparing for an extended conflict by accumulating long-range weaponry in underground facilities.
While the exact quantity of US and Israeli munitions, referred to as ‘magazine depth,’ is classified, military experts estimate that both nations are rapidly depleting advanced weaponry. This includes interceptors for air defense systems like THAAD, Patriot, and Arrow-3, as well as sea-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal on Sunday.
Jonathan Conricus, a former spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, commented to the newspaper, “Eventually it boils down to numbers. How many interceptors will we have versus how much launchers will they be able to field and fire.”
Trump attributed the robustness of US stockpiles to his decision to halt supplies to Ukraine. Although American weapons continue to be sent to Ukraine, under Trump’s policy, European NATO members are now financing these shipments.
Retaliatory Iranian missile and drone attacks have targeted US and NATO military installations in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions, as well as energy infrastructure and shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime passage. The disruption to Saudi crude oil exports and Qatari liquefied natural gas has contributed to a rise in global prices.