What's going on: Operation Epic Fury has turned into Operation Missile Critical. Several media outlets report that the US military’s critical defense missile stockpile has been severely depleted. That includes “virtually all” of the long-range missiles in fighting with Iran, and more than 80% of a specific defensive missile that shoots down incoming fire. US commanders are now conserving supplies. In addition to putting US troops at a disadvantage, experts say this kind of shortage could hamstring the military in future conflicts. If you’re wondering, “but what about the $1.15 trillion that Congress just approved for the military?,” part of it is earmarked for new missiles. But the Center for Strategic and International Studies says that effort takes time that the US doesn’t have.
It’s a war of words: And Trump and the media are on opposing sides (for a refreshing change of pace). In June, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the military’s stockpiles are great and getting stronger. In a Truth Social post, President Donald Trump wrote that the US has “massive amounts of munitions” and threatened to prosecute anyone who says otherwise. But The Washington Post reports that the president confronted Hegseth at Camp David last week, saying he thought the shortage issue “had been fixed.” Hegseth allegedly blamed his deputy. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell denied this exchange happened and separately said, “America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs."
