US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has rejected a media report claiming that nearly 80 percent of the defense missiles for a key US military missile defense system were depleted during the Iran war.
The dispute follows a report from CNN, which cited sources familiar with the matter stating that US military commanders had warned that Pentagon ammunition stocks are “dangerously low.”
CNN reported, citing two sources familiar with a recent inventory report, that the US military has used about half of its Patriot interceptor missiles since the start of the war and has depleted almost four-fifths of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile stock compared to pre-war levels.
“This banner is NOT TRUE, @CNN. Shame on you.”
Missile inventory estimates
The Washington-based Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) provided estimates regarding current and former missile levels. According to CSIS, there were well over 2,300 Patriot defense missiles before the war, and approximately 830 Patriot defense missiles were estimated to remain as of the end of July. source_ref: claim:6, claim:7
Estimated THAAD defense missiles remaining at the end of July, according to CSIS.
Regarding the THAAD system, CSIS estimated there were 452 THAAD defense missiles before the war, with up to 278 missiles estimated to remain at the end of July.
