Is Pentagon hiding missile shortage from Trump? US officials raise alarm over Iran war readiness

The United States may be preparing for a wider military confrontation with Iran, but officials and defence experts have raised concerns over whether Washington has the firepower to sustain an extended conflict, amid reports that the White House may not be receiving the full picture from the Pentagon.

The concerns surfaced as US President Donald Trump indicated on Tuesday that Washington's military objectives in Iran remain unfinished during a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House.

According to The Washington Post, a US official involved in the Iran conflict claimed the military is already grappling with shrinking stocks of key weapons, warning that any expansion of operations could be difficult to sustain.

"The US is planning for a wider war. We do not have enough to safely sustain operations, and I don't think the White House is aware of that," the official told the newspaper.

The official said dwindling supplies of air defence interceptors and long-range precision-guided munitions, along with limited capacity to quickly deploy additional troops, aircraft and equipment following recent battle damage, could constrain future military operations against Iran.

The warning comes as the Trump administration continues to signal that further action against Tehran remains on the table, despite weeks of military exchanges in the region.

Defence analysts have echoed similar concerns. Seth Jones, who heads the defence and security programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), cautioned against any move to deploy American ground forces if the conflict intensifies.

"I think it would be a mistake to put ground forces anywhere on islands in the Strait or onshore," Jones told The Washington Post, after Trump last week declined to rule out sending US ground troops.

Meanwhile, a separate report by The Telegraph suggested that concerns inside the Pentagon go beyond missile shortages.

The newspaper reported that some Defence Department officials fear a "culture of silence" has developed, with senior personnel allegedly reluctant to pass negative assessments up the chain of command because of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's reported reputation for dismissing senior military officials.

Neither the White House nor the Pentagon has publicly responded to the reports.

The developments come as questions mount over the US military's preparedness for a prolonged campaign against Iran, with officials and analysts warning that sustaining a wider conflict could place significant strain on America's existing stockpiles and operational capacity.