Vance questions pentagon briefings as Iran war drains U.S. missile stocks

Washington: Reports suggest that U.S. Vice President JD Vance has questioned whether the Pentagon is giving President Donald Trump an accurate picture of the Iran war and America’s weapons stockpiles. According to The Atlantic, Vance has expressed unease in private meetings over the state of the war and the extent to which U.S. missile reserves may have been depleted.

Even after weeks of fighting, Iran’s military power has not been fully destroyed, while the United States’ missile inventory has reportedly fallen sharply. Internal estimates cited in recent reports indicate that more than half of some major U.S. weapons systems have already been used, though the Pentagon maintains that overall stockpiles remain secure. Vance is said to have raised these concerns directly with Trump, even as Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine continued to describe the strikes on Iran as highly damaging.

The vice president is not reported to have accused defence officials of misleading the administration outright, but he has taken a firm stance that greater clarity is needed on the strategic situation. Intelligence assessments have also suggested that much of Iran’s air force and missile-launch infrastructure remains intact, and that Tehran still retains the ability to conduct naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz.