Trump Says He'd Rather Deal Than 'Kill People' as Reports Expose US Munitions Shortfalls

On Wednesday evening in Las Vegas, President Donald Trump told an audience that the United States is in talks with Iran and would rather strike a deal than take further military action. He said the US had been preparing what he called the biggest attack since World War Two before Iranian officials asked to negotiate. "I would rather make a deal with Iran because I don't want to kill people," he said, adding that Tehran will not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.

His remarks landed on the same day as a Washington Post report that pointed to a more practical pressure. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the paper said Trump confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a cabinet meeting last week over a critical shortage of munitions during the war on Iran. According to the report, Trump demanded answers after learning of a deficit in vital weapons, having believed the problem had already been dealt with. The shortage was named as one of the reasons he paused large-scale strikes on Iran.

The Post account says Hegseth defended himself in the meeting and pointed instead to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg. He blamed Feinberg for the shortages and for failing to ensure Trump was fully informed about the state of US stockpiles.

The White House rejected the story. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt called it "100 percent fake news" and said Trump "has the utmost confidence" in Hegseth.

CNN, also on Wednesday and also citing several people familiar with the matter, put numbers to the concern. The network reported that the US military has used nearly 80 percent of its interceptors for the THAAD missile defence system, measured against pre-war inventory. Roughly half of its Patriot interceptors have been expended since the war began. One source who had seen recent internal Pentagon reports said the army had used "virtually all" of its highly accurate long-range surface-to-air weapons in that period. Senior military officials, the report said, warned that the stockpile is "dangerously low", with air defence systems hit hardest.

Trump answered on Truth Social. He said the US has "massive amounts" of munitions, especially of certain types, and that large quantities are being manufactured and shipped to the Middle East as needed. He said defence companies are building the largest number of plants and factories in the country's history. He also wrote that "leakers" of what he called treasonous statements are being hunted down and that long-term jail sentences will be sought.

In Lebanon, meanwhile, strikes continued. The health ministry said eight people were wounded in an Israeli strike on the southern town of Burj Shemali on Thursday. Earlier, state media described a wide-scale assault on the city of Tyre, where strikes across several areas wounded four people, who were taken to nearby hospitals, and displaced residents.

The attacks came as Lebanese-Israeli talks entered a third day in Rome, the seventh round of US-brokered negotiations. Lebanese negotiators want Israel to stop bombarding and withdraw from about 60 villages and towns it has occupied since its latest offensive began in March. Israel wants the Lebanese army to dismantle Hezbollah's military infrastructure. Israel's public broadcaster said the army's response to an alleged Hezbollah violation "has not ended", and Channel 12 reported the military is urging political leaders to approve a "stronger and more decisive" response.

Separately, the UKMTO said a tanker nine nautical miles southeast of Kumzar, Oman, reported two explosions while crossing the Strait of Hormuz early Thursday. The vessel and crew were reportedly safe, with no sign of environmental damage.

What to watch: whether the munitions question, disputed by the White House, shapes how Washington approaches the Iran talks, and whether escalation in Lebanon disrupts the Rome negotiations.