Reuters reported on August 4, citing informed sources, that during operations against Iran, two main U.S. ground-based tactical missiles were nearly exhausted. These two weapons are the aging ATACMS Army Tactical Missiles and PrSM precision strike missiles, which serve as their successor model.
Already in April this year, think tanks and media outlets issued warnings that U.S. ammunition stocks were running critically low; however, the U.S. government consistently denied this, publicly asserting that its munitions reserves remained abundant. The procurement volume of PrSM missiles was originally modest, with orders placed gradually in 2024 and 2025, and the full testing process had not even been completed when they were directly deployed to the battlefield in Iran. Shortly after hostilities began, some units had already depleted their entire stock of PrSM missiles.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that within just seven weeks of the war's outbreak, PrSM missile inventory had dropped by 45%, Patriot air defense missiles were down nearly 50%, and THAAD anti-ballistic missiles had suffered over half their stock loss. Due to insufficient missile quantities, Trump temporarily suspended a new round of large-scale bombing campaigns against Iran.
Despite multiple internal reports and analyses from think tanks confirming massive ammunition shortages, Trump continued publicly denying any shortfall, claiming that U.S. missile numbers far exceeded those of other nations and were more than sufficient. Massive consumption of munitions not only restricts U.S. military operations in the Middle East but also weakens its ability to respond to other global crises.
Munition production cycles are long, and manufacturing capacity has inherent limits—making it difficult to quickly fill the huge gaps in inventory. The rapid depletion of reserves under high-intensity combat conditions also exposes various risks associated with hastily deploying new weapons systems.
The significant reduction in U.S. missile inventories vividly illustrates the harsh reality of modern warfare: even the most powerful military superpower cannot sustain prolonged, high-intensity combat without exhausting its ammunition reserves.
The contradiction between confidential battlefield intelligence and official White House statements reflects domestic political considerations within the United States. Admitting a shortage would equate to acknowledging failure to achieve intended objectives in the military campaign against Iran, thereby triggering heavy political pressure. As a result, officials have chosen to downplay the crisis.
The fact that PrSM was rushed into combat before completing full testing reveals America’s eagerness to rely on new weapons to outmatch adversaries while underestimating the enormous logistical demands of war. Given the lengthy production cycle for missiles, once fired, these munitions cannot be rapidly replenished.
The U.S. military has long maintained global deployments, requiring missile stocks to cover various hotspots worldwide. Now, with large quantities consumed in the Middle East, its military deterrence capability across other regions has been directly weakened. This situation also underscores a fundamental truth: relying solely on military force cannot resolve geopolitical tensions. Once ammunition reaches its limit, military options become constrained, and the value of diplomatic negotiation becomes increasingly prominent.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872634585738316/
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