Ambassador Mike Waltz Dismisses Reports of Depleted U.S. Weapons Stockpiles

In an appearance on Nbcnews, Ambassador Mike Waltz pushed back against reports that Pentagon munitions reserves are running dangerously low after nearly two weeks of consecutive nightly air raids.

I want to be crystal clear: The U.S.

Mike Waltz, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

Waltz further condemned the circulation of reports regarding supply constraints, adding, the people that are leaking this nonsense deserve to be in jail. According to Waltz, the current administration inherited a depleted military infrastructure from the Biden administration due to allocations for Ukraine and the ongoing conflict with the Houthis. He asserted that the Pentagon is shifting toward cheaper munitions and new technologies while working to rebuild the force under recent defense budgets.

Internal Pentagon Concerns and the Friday White House Meeting

The reassurances from the diplomatic corps contrast with warnings raised inside the Pentagon and the White House. CNN reported that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and Vice President JD Vance both voiced concerns during a Friday meeting with President Donald Trump regarding potential negative implications and weapons stockpile pressures if major combat operations escalated.

Caine warned that while military options could be successfully executed, sustained strikes risked depletion of munitions. Discussions also centered on the potential for massive civilian casualties inside Iran if the U.S. targeted infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and power plants—actions that could constitute war crimes and leave scores of civilians without power or food.

Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell maintained a firm stance on operational readiness, stating America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing in a statement issued to CNN.

Diplomatic Pauses and Tehran’s Response in the Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. bombing campaign experienced a sudden halt late Friday, with no reported U.S. air strikes on Saturday or Sunday. According to Reuters, a senior Iranian official stated that Tehran will suspend its own regional attacks as long as Washington maintains the pause. Iran’s position remains ‘attack for attack’: if the attacks stop, Iran will also halt its operations. That message has already been conveyed to the United States, the source said, adding that the country remains prepared to mount a broad response if U.S. air strikes resume.

While Ambassador Waltz attributed the suspension to giving diplomacy room to work, Iranian officials expressed deep skepticism. The source in Tehran described the pause as tactical rather than genuine, noting that Iran harbors persistent distrust stemming from past U.S. actions. Meanwhile, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung emphasized that while Trump favors a diplomatic path, all options remain on the table if Iran persists in targeting allies or shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.

Congressional Pushback and Funding Demands

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared before lawmakers last week to request $67 billion in supplemental funding to accelerate weapons production. During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in April, Hegseth acknowledged to Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., that rebuilding the diminished stockpile could take months or years.

Kelly criticized the administration’s management during an interview on Nbcnews, stating the crisis was self-inflicted and that the requests for supplemental budgets were unreasonable. Similarly, Sen. Chris Van Hollen told ABC’s This Week that the U.S. should end the war immediately, noting that interceptors crucial for defending American forces are being expended daily despite potential global threats elsewhere.

As diplomatic channels remain active alongside lingering military uncertainty, the benchmark Brent crude price surpassed $100 for the first time since May, driven by ongoing disruptions in energy shipping lanes and recent Houthi attacks on Red Sea targets.