The Trump administration official contradicted himself as he tried to explain away bad news from the Iran war.
Published
Source: Reason
Former President Joe Biden used up all the ammunition. There is no ammunition shortage. It is illegal to leak military secrets about the ammunition shortage. Asked on Meet the Press about reports that the U.S. military doesn't have enough air defense interceptors to return to the Iran war, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz offered all three contradictory explanations on Sunday. The latest round of U.S.-Iranian fighting ended suddenly this weekend. Despite President Donald Trump's claim that he was "all set" for a "massive attack," the U.S. military stopped bombing Iran on Friday; the Iranian government said it would reciprocate with its own ceasefire, and diplomats began talks in Tehran. Axios and The New York Times both reported that Trump backed down after Gen. Dan Caine warned him that an escalation would use up stocks of Patriot missiles and other air defense ammunition. Two officials told NBC that the U.S. military was already rationing interceptors, allowing more Iranian air raids to get through. "The administration inherited, Secretary [of Defense Pete] Hegseth inherited, a depleted situation from not only Ukraine but also the ongoing fight with the Houthis under the Biden administration and a degraded military under the Biden administration," Waltz said when asked about that reporting.