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The U.S. Army has used most of its highly accurate long-range missile stockpile during the five-month war with Iran, raising concerns about readiness for future conflicts, three people familiar with the data reportedly told Reuters.
Two sources said the U.S. had used “virtually all” of its Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, and Precision Strike Missiles, known as PrSMs. They declined to disclose how many remained and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The depletion of the Army’s main surface-to-surface missiles had not previously been reported.
ATACMS and PrSMs allow forces to strike targets from a safe distance without exposing pilots to heavily defended airspace. U.S.-supplied ATACMS have played a major role in Ukraine’s war with Russia, while the newer and longer-range PrSM is intended to replace ATACMS.
The missiles cost more than $1 million each and would also be important in a potential conflict with China, analysts said.
President Donald Trump launched the war against Iran jointly with Israel in February, predicting it would be brief. As the conflict continued, the sources expressed concern that dwindling supplies could weaken Washington’s ability to deter Russia, China and other adversaries.
A fourth person familiar with the matter said U.S. Central Command had nearly exhausted the land-based missiles it held before the war but had replenished stocks from U.S. military supplies elsewhere in the world.
Asked about the figures, the White House issued a statement from Trump saying the U.S. had “far more munitions than anyone in the world” and “far more than we need.”
“Our defense companies are, at this moment, making more munitions than they have ever made before, in addition to expanding their plants and equipment at record levels,” Trump said.
Analysts agree that production of some weapons, including artillery shells and several missile types, has reached record levels but warn that supplies could still fall well short of what would be required for a prolonged war.
Lockheed Martin, which produces ATACMS, PrSMs and the THAAD missile defense system, did not immediately respond to questions about Trump’s remarks or supply levels.
Raytheon, which makes Tomahawk missiles and Patriot interceptors, also did not immediately respond.
Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said the U.S. military had what it needed to conduct operations.
“America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the president’s choosing,” Parnell said.
“We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests.”
The stockpile figures circulated inside the federal government over the past week during tense discussions about how long the U.S. could continue striking Iran without reducing supplies to levels that would limit responses to other crises.
One source said the drawdown of ATACMS and PrSMs reflected the Trump administration’s decision to avoid riskier attacks using piloted aircraft.
A March report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the missiles had been used against targets inside Iran.
The report noted that PrSM stocks were already limited because the weapon was relatively new, although the U.S. military had ordered a large number for 2027. The army has said ATACMS are being phased out as production shifts to PrSMs.
Military leaders have also warned Trump for weeks that defensive weapons, including Patriot interceptors used against ballistic missiles, were running low, two sources said.
Several media outlets reported last week that Trump decided against another major offensive in Iran partly because advisers warned about U.S. stockpiles. A U.S. official disputed that account, saying pressure from Gulf countries influenced the decision.
The war has also triggered debate over Trump’s authority to conduct hostilities against Iran without congressional approval. No request for a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force has been submitted to Congress.
A CSIS report published last week estimated that the U.S. had used about 65% of its Patriot interceptors between February and July.
It also estimated that the number of THAAD ballistic missile interceptors in U.S. stockpiles was at least 38% lower than at the start of the war.
Patriot and THAAD systems detect and destroy incoming missiles and are among the most effective defensive weapons in the U.S. arsenal.
Reuters had not reviewed the underlying figures, but two sources said the estimates matched internal U.S. data.
The U.S. has also used slightly less than half of its global supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles since the war began, one source said. Reuters could not independently verify that figure.
Tomahawks are launched from Navy destroyers, cruisers and submarines and are used to strike heavily defended targets without risking pilots.
Raytheon, a unit of RTX, has reached a tentative multiyear agreement with the Pentagon to increase Tomahawk production as Washington works to rebuild its missile and ammunition stocks.
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