London– US President Donald Trump reportedly confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a tense Cabinet meeting at Camp David last week, accusing him of misleading the White House about the state of America’s dwindling missile stockpiles as Washington weighs the prospect of renewed large-scale military action against Iran.
According to The Washington Post, citing two people familiar with the exchange, Trump challenged Hegseth over severe shortages of long-range precision missiles and interceptor systems, telling him bluntly: “I thought the problem had been fixed.”
The reported confrontation comes amid growing concerns inside Washington that America’s prolonged military engagement in the region is rapidly draining some of its most critical weapons inventories.
US Missile Stocks ‘Dangerously Low’
The concerns were reinforced by a CNN report claiming the US military has already exhausted nearly 80 percent of its THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) interceptors and roughly half of its Patriot missile interceptors, leaving supplies “dangerously low.”
The shortages are particularly alarming because THAAD batteries have become the primary shield protecting US bases across West Asia from Iranian ballistic missile attacks.
Officials reportedly fear the depleted stockpile could significantly limit America’s ability to launch another major offensive against Iran while simultaneously defending its own forces in the region.
Hegseth Blames Deputy
According to the Post, Hegseth sought to deflect responsibility during the Camp David exchange, pointing instead to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, suggesting the Pentagon leadership had failed to accurately communicate the true extent of the shortages.
The reported blame game underscored growing tensions inside the administration as military planners struggle with shrinking resources and an increasingly complicated battlefield.
White House Calls Story ‘100% Fake News’
The White House swiftly rejected the report.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the account in the strongest terms, telling the newspaper: “100% fake news. Literally never happened. And President Trump has the utmost confidence in Secretary Hegseth.”
Despite the denial, multiple media outlets reported signs of deep frustration within the administration over the direction of the conflict.
‘The President Is Exasperated’
NBC News reported that Trump has privately lashed out at senior advisers over the lack of progress in ending the confrontation with Iran.
One Trump ally familiar with the president’s thinking told the network:
“The president is exasperated.”
The source added: “I don’t think he believed it was going to be this difficult to get the Iranians to agree to a deal. There was not a real strategy for how long or what they should do to get to the endpoint.”
Another blunt assessment followed: “He did not intend this to be a long, drawn-out war.”
Administration Divided Over Endgame
According to an unnamed US official quoted by NBC, the administration itself remains deeply divided over what it actually wants to achieve.
Officials reportedly disagree over whether the priority should be:
- Preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons;
- Keeping the Strait of Hormuz open;
- Destroying Iran’s missile arsenal; or
- Weakening Tehran’s drone capabilities.
Without a clear political objective, military planners are reportedly preparing for further operations without knowing what constitutes victory.
‘Tactical Victories… Strategic Defeat’
One US official offered perhaps the starkest assessment yet of America’s position.
“We have had a series of tactical victories,” the official said.
But he warned: “We are facing a strategic defeat without clear policy guidance or a decision about where this is going.”
The official added that the military has continued preparing for another major offensive despite the absence of clear direction from civilian leadership.
Trump Keeps Switching Between Threats and Talks
Publicly, Trump has repeatedly threatened devastating military strikes against Iran before later suggesting diplomacy remains possible.
Earlier this week, he claimed Washington and Tehran were engaged in discussions that could eventually reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route disrupted during the conflict.
Asked Wednesday about those negotiations, Trump told a Fox affiliate: “I hear they’re doing very well.”
Iran Denies Talks
Tehran, however, rejected Trump’s account.
Iranian officials said no direct negotiations with the United States had taken place in recent days, though they confirmed discussions with Oman aimed at reaching an arrangement over navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Officials familiar with those efforts described the proposed understanding as a temporary measure that could eventually pave the way for renewed negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Iran’s Retaliation Raising Alarm
Growing concern is mounting in Washington over Iran’s increasingly effective retaliatory campaign.
According to The Intercept, citing a US official, Iran has significantly improved its ability to strike American military installations across West Asia through coordinated attacks combining drones and advanced ballistic missiles. The report said Iranian retaliation has targeted at least nine US military bases in recent weeks, with several suffering “significant damage”.
The sustained attacks have taken a heavy toll on the US arsenal. Recent reports indicate the Pentagon has depleted nearly 80% of its THAAD interceptors and about half of its Patriot missile interceptors, while stocks of long-range precision weapons have also fallen sharply. With THAAD interceptors costing up to $12 million apiece and requiring months to replace, dwindling inventories are increasingly seen as a constraint on Washington’s military options should the conflict with Iran escalate further.
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