Trump: Iran War Could Wrap Up Soon

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he believes the war against Iran could end soon, while acknowledging that the US military is encountering challenges in maintaining supplies of advanced weapons systems.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump claimed Iran would not be able to sustain the confrontation for much longer.

"I think it's going to end pretty soon. I don't think they can go much longer," Trump said when asked about the war

The remarks came after successive reports that the United States has faced mounting pressure on its weapons reserves during the five-month war, particularly surrounding long-range missiles and air defense systems.

Trump said the US maintains large supplies of some weapons but admitted that inventories of others are under strain.

"We have certain types of munitions that are very powerful, that we have unlimited, virtual unlimited supply. We have others where it's a little bit tighter," he said.

The comments followed reports that declining US munitions stockpiles had become a source of frustration for the president, who reportedly believes the disclosures could weaken Washington's position in negotiations with Iran.

According to CNN, citing senior US officials, Trump privately objected to media reports detailing reductions in US missile inventories, arguing that such reports could project weakness at a sensitive moment in the war.

The issue reportedly dominated discussions during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David last week, where Trump criticized coverage of Pentagon weapons reserves.

Officials said Trump was aware of pressure on US stockpiles for months and was not surprised by the situation itself. Instead, they said his concern centered on the timing of the disclosures and their potential impact on US leverage.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump rejected claims that Washington was running out of weapons, saying the United States had "massive amounts" of munitions and that production was increasing.

He also called for those responsible for leaking classified information about US weapons inventories to face severe punishment, directing the Justice Department to investigate the disclosures.

Reuters and CNN reported earlier that the US military has significantly depleted its stockpiles of advanced missiles during the months-long war, including long-range precision missiles, THAAD interceptors and Patriot missiles, citing officials familiar with the assessments.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies [CSIS] previously estimated that the United States possessed around 452 THAAD interceptors and approximately 2,200 Patriot missiles across advanced variants before the conflict.

Military officials had reportedly warned before the war that a prolonged confrontation with Iran could place significant pressure on US weapons reserves, particularly systems needed to support Washington's military posture in critical arenas.

Trump has repeatedly blamed the previous administration for reducing US stockpiles through military support to Ukraine, saying in July that "so much was given to Ukraine by Biden."