Washington, DC – US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied a CNN report that claimed the US military had used up nearly 80 percent of its strategic stockpile of THAAD interceptor missiles during ongoing military operations in a potential conflict with Iran. Moreover, he insisted that the report was inaccurate.
A fierce attack on media coverage
In his response, Higgseth retweeted the report’s headline on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He then attacked the network, writing, “This headline is false. Shame on CNN.” In a separate message commenting on the media coverage, he added, “We don’t hate fake news media enough.” However, the Secretary of Defense did not provide any specific figures in his posts regarding the actual number of THAAD missiles in use. Nor did he provide the precise statistics used by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Details of the CNN report and the decline in inventories
CNN, citing several informed sources, reported that the US military has consumed approximately four-fifths of its THAAD interceptor missiles since the outbreak of the war with Iran. These missiles were in stockpiles before the war. The network noted that this sharp decline in missile stockpiles had not been previously disclosed. Meanwhile, the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that Washington possessed approximately 452 THAAD missiles before the conflict began.
Military warnings of dwindling ammunition stockpiles
According to CNN sources, senior US military leaders have warned that strategic munitions stockpiles at the Pentagon have fallen to what they described as “dangerous” levels. The report also added that the latest weapons inventory shows the US military has used up nearly half of its Patriot interceptor missiles. This usage has occurred since the start of military confrontations with Iran.
