Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) accused U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz of falsely blaming Ukraine for U.S. military stockpile challenges, arguing the Iran conflict consumed more American defense resources.
Lieu Challenges Ukraine Weapons Claims
On Sunday, in a post on X, Lieu criticized Waltz after the ambassador said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that U.S. weapons supplies had been strained by military aid to Ukraine and other conflicts.
He wrote, “Dear @USAmbUN Mike Waltz: You lie.”
He added, “US provided zero THAAD missiles to Ukraine” and argued that Washington sent “far less Patriots to Ukraine than the massive amount used in less than 5 months of the Iran war.”
Waltz Defends Military Stockpile Position
During the interview, Waltz said the Pentagon inherited depleted stockpiles after years of military commitments, including support for Ukraine and operations against the Houthis under the Biden administration.
He said, “A lot of stockpiles were depleted not only from what we gave Ukraine over the last however many years, four or five years…but also the ongoing fight with the Houthis.”
When asked whether U.S. weapons supplies were depleted, Waltz said, “The U.S. military has everything that it needs to conduct this campaign as effectively as it needs to be.”
He also defended the administration’s military strategy, saying the U.S. had maintained significant air and sea superiority during the Iran conflict.
US Munitions Concerns Rise
Last week, Vice President JD Vance and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine reportedly warned President Donald Trump against escalating the Iran conflict, citing concerns over U.S. munitions stockpiles and operational risks.
Earlier, the Pentagon had also paused a proposed $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan while reviewing weapons inventories to ensure sufficient supplies for ongoing operations.
Reports of heavy use of missiles and other precision weapons during the Iran conflict fueled concerns about stockpile levels.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back on shortage concerns, saying the issue had been “foolishly and unhelpfully overstated” and that the military had enough weapons for its needs.
US Pauses Iran Strikes
The U.S. paused military strikes against Iran as Oman and Qatar worked on diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions.
Trump halted new attacks after nearly two weeks of strikes, while discussions between U.S. and Iranian officials continued.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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