Pentagon's dramatic letter: "You have 21 days"

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Reduced stocks of Patriot and THAAD interceptors could force the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East to take greater risks to preserve their air defense systems, according to an analysis by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

The analysis cites as an example the possibility that U.S. forces could fire fewer interceptors at incoming Iranian drones and missiles, increasing the likelihood that some would penetrate the defenses.

Trump denies shortages

President Donald Trump has expressed frustration in recent days over media reports about ammunition shortages. On Thursday, he posted on Truth Social that the U.S. has “huge amounts” of ammunition and added that “large quantities are being produced and shipped to the U.S. as needed.”

Parnell confirmed on Saturday the authenticity of Feinberg’s memo calling for an acceleration in production. He said the memo would “affect the fiscal year 2028 budget submitted to Congress” and was fully consistent with “ongoing efforts to rebuild the defense industrial base.”

The defense spending bill is currently stalled in Congress because lawmakers oppose Trump’s military action against Iran. They have also rejected the White House request to increase the Pentagon’s budget from $900 billion last year to $1.5 trillion.

Interceptor stocks fall by more than 60 percent

The number of Patriot interceptors fell from 2,330 before the war with Iran to 1,030 when a ceasefire took effect in April, according to an estimate by CSIS last month.

Following the recent fighting, stocks are now estimated to be between 759 and 827 interceptors, representing a decline of at least 65 percent from pre-conflict levels.