Trump confronted Hegseth over US munitions shortages amid Iran war: Report

The Washington Post, citing two people familiar with the exchange, reported that Trump demanded answers after learning that shortages of key weapons including long-range guided missiles and air-defense interceptors had not been resolved, despite his understanding that the issue “had been fixed.”

The report said the shortages have been a factor in Trump’s decision to hold back from launching additional large-scale strikes against Iran in recent days.

It added that Patriot missiles can take up to two years to produce despite new production agreements.

According to the report, Hegseth defended himself during the exchange and blamed Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg for the shortages and “for not ensuring Trump was fully apprised” about the state of US stockpiles.

The White House denied the report, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt calling it “100% fake news” and saying “President Trump has the utmost confidence in Secretary Hegseth.”

The Pentagon also rejected the claims, with chief spokesman Sean Parnell saying Hegseth “did not mislead anyone about our munitions posture” and describing the allegations as “fictional.”