Vice President JD Vance was bluntly informed of U.S. weakness in secret calls to military commanders about the Iran war, The New York Times reported Thursday.

Read the full story here.

In an unusual series of conversations with top brass over the last several months, Vance learned that depleted stockpiles due to the U.S. conflict in the Middle East were compromising its defense against China, Russia and North Korea.

The amount of Patriot interceptors, critical to thwarting attacks, Army Tactical Missile Systems and Precision Strike missiles were all down to their lowest supply that the officials “had ever seen,” the Times wrote, citing current and former authorities who requested anonymity.

The Times said Vance developed “deep concerns” about the chance for success against Iran, which was willing to endure heavy losses as the U.S. arsenal to stop Iranian attacks or other threats had dwindled. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump initially doubted reports that the U.S. was increasingly exposed.

The vice president’s info-gathering appears to confirm reports earlier in the summer that the country was dangerously short on weaponry.

Trump said at the time the military has “far more [munitions] than we need.”

Behind the scenes, however, the president reportedly raged at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the shortage and accused Hegseth of misleading him.

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