Trump Vows to Jail 'Leakers' Behind Reports of Dwindling US Missile Stockpiles

Donald Trump has denied the United States is running low on key munitions and threatened to jail whoever leaked reports suggesting otherwise, as the president faces mounting pressure over the depleted state of America's weapons stockpiles nearly six months into the conflict with Iran.

Writing on Truth Social early Thursday, Trump insisted the US holds 'massive amounts of munitions, especially of certain types' and that 'large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the U.S. as needed.' He went further, vowing that the sources behind the reports would face serious consequences: 'The leakers of these treasonous statements are being hunted down. Long term jail sentences will be sought!'

Missile Stockpiles Virtually All Used, Reuters Reports

The president's outburst followed a string of reports this week detailing how badly the Iran war has drained US weapons supplies. Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources, that the Army has used 'virtually all' of its global stockpile of long-range missiles, a category of weapon relied on by both the US and allies including Ukraine.

Separately, The Washington Post reported that Trump confronted Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at a Camp David meeting last week, accusing him of misleading him about the shortage. Two people familiar with the exchange told the Post that Hegseth did not deny the shortfall and instead pointed to his deputy, Stephen Feinberg, for allegedly keeping Trump out of the loop.

White House Denies '100% Fake News' Account

The White House has rejected the Post's account outright. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the alleged Trump-Hegseth clash is '100% fake news' and 'literally never happened,' adding that Trump 'has the utmost confidence in Secretary Hegseth.'

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell issued a similarly firm denial, saying that Hegseth 'did not mislead anyone about our munitions posture, and he did not blame Deputy Secretary Feinberg,' calling the entire account 'equally fictional.'

Tomahawks and Patriots, the Numbers Behind the Shortage

Beyond long-range missiles, the US has burned through roughly half its global supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles since the war began, according to Reuters. A July analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies found the military had also used around 65 per cent of its Patriot interceptors and 38 per cent of its THAAD interceptors between February and July.

The scale of expenditure helps explain why Trump has been weighing a shift toward piloted aircraft to deliver strikes rather than continuing to rely on the dwindling missile stockpile. The long-range weapons allow the US to hit targets from a safe distance, making their depletion a significant tactical concern.

Trump Administration's History of Leak Pursuits

Thursday's jail threat is not the administration's first attempt to root out unauthorised disclosures. Last month, the Department of Justice subpoenaed four New York Times reporters' phone records as part of a probe into who leaked details of Secret Service concerns over a Qatari-gifted jet, though that investigation was later dropped.

Trump's threat against 'leakers' lands as his administration is simultaneously trying to project military strength and pursue a diplomatic exit from the Iran war. Tehran signalled Thursday it is close to a deal with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, adding further complexity to the president's position.

A jail threat aimed at sources rather than a direct rebuttal of the reporting risks drawing more attention to the shortage claims rather than quieting them. It also raises fresh press freedom questions given the administration's recent history of subpoenaing journalists' records over leak investigations.