Iran: Trump says he'd rather make deal than 'kill people' amid reports of weapons shortages
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday evening that Washington is holding talks with Iran and would prefer an agreement rather than further military action against the country.
Speaking during an event in Las Vegas, Trump said the US had been preparing to launch what he described as “the biggest attack since world war two before Iranian officials asked for negotiations.
“I would rather make a deal with Iran because I don’t want to kill people,” he added, while reaffirming his commitment that Tehran would not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.
It came as the Washington Post reported that Trump confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a critical shortage of munitions during the war on Iran.
According to the newspaper, citing sources familiar with the matter, Trump demanded answers during a cabinet meeting last week, after finding out about a deficit in vital weapons, despite his understanding that the issue had been addressed.
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The report cited the shortage in munitions as one of the reasons behind Trump's decision to pause large-scale strikes against Iran.
During the meeting, Hegseth reportedly defended himself and instead blamed Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg for the shortages and "for not ensuring Trump was fully apprised" about the state of Washington's stockpiles.
The White House denied the report, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt calling it "100 percent fake news", adding that Trump "has the utmost confidence" in Hegseth.
"'Leakers' of these treasonous statements are being hunted down"
– President Trump on Truth Social
The US army has used up nearly 80 percent of its interceptors for a key missile defence system, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing several sources familiar with the matter.
According to the report, senior US military officials warned that the Pentagon’s munitions stockpile is "dangerously low", with key air defence systems particularly depleted during the war on Iran.
The US military exhausted nearly four-fifths of its THAAD missile inventory compared with pre-war figures. Half of its Patriot interceptors have been used up since the start of the war.
One source familiar with recent internal Pentagon reports noted that the army used "virtually all" of its highly accurate long-range, surface-to-air weapons in the same period.
Trump hit back against media reports of depleted munitions, insisting that the army had large stockpiles and was expanding manufacturing.
"The US has massive amounts of 'munitions', especially of certain types," he said in a post on social media platform Truth Social, adding that "large amounts" are being manufactured and shipped over to the Middle East "as needed".
“Defense companies are building the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history,” Trump said.
He also threatened that "'leakers' of these treasonous statements are being hunted down" and wrote that "long term jail sentences will be sought".
Fresh wave of Israeli attacks on Lebanon
Meanwhile, eight people have been wounded in an Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese town of Burj Shemali, the country's health ministry reported on Thursday.
Earlier, Israeli forces escalated attacks on southern Lebanon, with state media reporting a "wide-scale aggression" on the city of Tyre.
As a result of the strikes across several areas in the city, four people were wounded and transferred to nearby hospitals. Residents in these areas were also displaced.
The fresh wave of attacks comes as Lebanese-Israeli peace talks entered a third day in Rome, in the seventh round of US-brokered negotiations.
Lebanese negotiators are demanding that Israel cease bombardment and withdraw from around 60 villages and towns occupied in its latest onslaught, which began in March.
Meanwhile, Israel wants the Lebanese army to dismantle Hezbollah's military infrastructure.
Israeli reports have suggested that additional military attacks in Lebanon are being considered, as the army prepares for further escalation.
Israel's public broadcaster said that the army's response to what it described as Hezbollah violation "has not ended", with "sensitive operations" likely under way.
Channel 12 reported that the army is calling on the political leadership to approve a "stronger and more decisive" response in Lebanon.
Elsewhere in the region, a tanker nine nautical miles southeast of the village of Kumzar in Oman reported hearing two explosions while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said early on Thursday.
According to the UKMTO advisory, the vessel and its crew were reportedly safe, with no environmental damage indicated.
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