Trump says 'some' munitions are low as Iran war grinds on

President Donald Trump has conceded that American stockpiles of certain weapons have dipped because of the war with Iran, while promising to rebuild them to "levels we’ve never done before." In an interview Time published Thursday, he also said renewed strikes on Iran are possible after the November midterm elections, even though he has previously described the war as won. He rejected an Iranian offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as inadequate, according to BBC.

Trump gave no specifics on which munitions are running short, but said manufacturers are building plants across the country for Patriot and THAAD interceptors. A Pentagon inspector general review in mid-July found shortfalls in critical munitions and a resupply bottleneck, though Trump dismissed it at the time as largely false. According to CSIS, Patriot and THAAD stockpiles, among others, had shrunk sharply as of July, some by more than half.

Many Americans blame his policies, war included, for higher prices. A new Associated Press-NORC poll put approval of his cost-of-living record at 17% and of his economic record at 26%, a new low. Trump waved off the polls and said his campaigning would carry candidates to victory.

Summarized by PolitiKool from BBC’s reporting. Read the full story at BBC →