Iran-US war latest: Furious Trump hits out at ‘leakers’ after reports US is low on precision missiles
A furious Donald Trump has hit out at “leakers” as he condemned “treasonous” reports that the US has almost depleted its stock of precision long-range missiles in its war with Iran.
The president claimed the US still has “massive amounts” of the expensive munitions, adding that “large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the US as needed”.
“The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down. Long term jail sentences will be sought!” he added in the Truth Social tirade.
Trump also denied US media reports that he had reprimanded defence secretary Pete Hegseth during a Cabinet meeting in which low ammunition stockpiles were discussed.
Two sources told Reuters news agency that the military’s surface-to-surface weapons, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) had been "virtually all" used in its war against Tehran.
Meanwhile, the US president claimed the Strait of Hormuz is “sort of open” and predicted that the war with Iran will “end pretty soon” as negotiations continue between Tehran and Oman.
The US president said although the shipping route was under US control, there was a possibility that Tehran could still “shoot things” or “drop a mine.”
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Recap: Trump denies shortage of key munitions in war with Iran
Donald Trump has denied reports that the United States is running low on key munitions amid its war with Iran, insisting the country has "massive amounts" of ammunition and threatening lengthy prison sentences for officials who leak information about US weapons stockpiles.
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said: “Defence companies are building the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history.
“The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down. Long term jail sentences will be sought!”
The president claimed more weapons were being manufactured and shipped to the region, though he did not provide evidence or specify which munitions he was referring to.
His comments followed reports that he confronted defence secretary Pete Hegseth during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David last week over alleged shortages of critical weapons.
According to the Washington Post, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the discussion, Trump told Hegseth he felt misled because he believed the issue "had been fixed".
The newspaper reported that Hegseth defended his handling of the matter and sought to place responsibility on his deputy, Stephen Feinberg.
Trump later lashed out at the reports, accusing the media of publishing "treasonous statements".“The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down,” he wrote. “Long term jail sentences will be sought!”
Iran authorities announce controlled explosions in southern province
Iranian authorities announced planned controlled explosions in the southern province of Bushehr on Friday, saying blasts could be heard near the city of Khormoj between Friday morning and noon.
Officials in Dashti county did not provide further details about the purpose of the controlled explosions.
Rights groups accuse Israel of targeting and killing Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil
Global and Lebanese rights groups on Thursday accused Israel of intentionally targeting and killing Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil earlier this year and obstructing medical workers from reaching her as she lay critically wounded.
Khalil, a longtime correspondent for Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar in southern Lebanon, was killed in an Israeli strike in April in the village of al-Tiri, about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the border with Israel, while covering the war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group. She was one of 11 journalists killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon since 2023.
Khalil’s colleague, freelance photographer and video journalist Zeinab Faraj, was wounded in the strikes.
Read more here:
Rights groups accuse Israel of targeting and killing Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil
Global and Lebanese rights groups accuse Israel of intentionally targeting and killing Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil during an Israeli strike in AprilAlex Croft7 August 2026 13:28
Vance says oil prices will 'come down and stay down' as Iran war drags on – ICYMI
British pound drops against euro and dollar on Friday
The British pound has dropped against both the euro and U.S. dollar on Friday, as markets weigh the talks in the Middle East.
Sterling was 0.1 per cent lower against the dollar at £1 – $1.3438. Against the euro, the pound was similarly lower at one euro per 85.76 pence.
Investors are cautious about diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war and reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz, especially as tensions flared up again in the Middle East, Reuters news agency reports.
An attack by Yemen's Houthis on southern Saudi Arabia wounded 11 civilians on Thursday, a military official said, as the kingdom warned that coordinated attacks by the Houthis and Iran-backed Iraqi militias were imminent.
Brent crude futures were last slightly lower on the day at $82.16 per barrel.
Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia sign new defence agreement
Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have just signed a new defence agreement in Mecca, which they say was open to other regional countries.
The agreement is purely defensive in nature and pledges mutual support only for defence, a Turkish official said on Friday.
The official said the agreement was not against any specific actor.
It also does not replace any existing bilateral or multilateral agreements between these states or with other states and organisations, the official said according to Reuters news agency.
Putin discusses Gulf situation with UAE president
Russian president Vladimir Putin has spoken to United Arab Emirates president Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Kremlin said on Friday.
The pair discussed the situation in the Gulf, where Iranian and Omani negotiators are seeking to fix an impasse over the Strait of Hormuz.
They also discussed the war on Ukraine, with Putin expressing his gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for its role in organising exchanges of prisoners of war and detainees between Russia and Ukraine, the Kremlin said.
Trump says Americans will see gas for $1.85 a gallon soon – but the national average is currently above $4
Donald Trump has said Americans will see gas for $1.85 (£1.38) a gallon soon.
“We'll see those days pretty soon again, based on everything I see”, the US president told reporters Thursday. “As soon as the war ends, and I think it's going to end pretty soon”.
The national average price for a gallon of gas is currently above $4 (£2.98). It was below $3 (£2.23) at the start of the Iran war in late February.
Saudi Arabia expects imminent attacks from north and south, senior official says
Saudi Arabia expects imminent coordinated attacks from the north and south by Iraqi militias and Yemen's Houthis under the supervision of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a senior Saudi official said on Thursday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said intelligence reports from Saudi Arabia, the United States and other regional countries indicated civilian and economic sites could be targeted, including energy infrastructure, ports and airports.
Saudi Arabia had also observed drones and missiles being moved, suggesting coordinated operations from both directions, the official said.
The official said the reported threats were particularly alarming as Riyadh continued to pursue de-escalation and a negotiated settlement, adding that contacts with all parties, including Iran, and mediation efforts appeared to be moving "in the right direction." The official said the planned attacks could be intended to disrupt those diplomatic efforts.
The official said Saudi-US cooperation remained "very high" at all levels, including operationally with US Central Command, and said Saudi Arabia was prepared to take all necessary measures to respond to any aggression.
The Independent View | A deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz nears – but Iran now holds all the cards
If all goes well, the Strait of Hormuz will be open again to civilian traffic in a few days.
Good news, in any case, but it is hardly a lasting solution. What’s more, there are many reasons to suppose it will collapse again soon enough. The 60-day period of renewed ceasefire is ominously ambiguous and temporary. Seizing a mutually advantageous opportunity to acquire significant geopolitical leverage and to make some money, the signs are that the Omanis and the Iranians will seek to exercise full sovereign control.
This is not the issue that led America into this quagmire, but it is now the one that has trapped President Trump. There is no more talk of regime change or unconditional surrender. Even if Iran renounces its nuclear programme and permits international inspections – which it has been committed to, de facto, since the JCPOA was signed during the Obama administration, ensuring that the US’s “war aim” is achieved – Iran has been gifted control of much of the world’s oil supplies.
This is a far more practical threat than any nuclear warhead. Gifted, that is, by President Trump’s foolish decision to join Israel’s campaign to destabilise and weaken the Iranian regime – now demonstrably a failure.
You can read The Independent’s full editorial here.
