Antiwar.com Week in Review for August 9, 2026

“The US has massive amounts of ‘munitions,’ especially of certain types. Additionally, large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the US as needed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“Defense companies are building the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history. The ‘leakers’ of these treasonous statements are being hunted down,” the president added.

Some of the most significant reports about the shortage of advanced munitions didn’t come from media reports but from analyses published by the think tank the Center for International Studies (CSIS), which used publicly available data to produce its estimates.

CSIS found that the US has used about 60% of its advanced Patriot air defense missiles and about half of its interceptors for the THAAD missile defense system, though sources told CNN that the US had actually used about 80% of its THAADs during the war. While Trump says that US arms makers are working to produce more munitions, the current rate of weapons use far exceeds the rate at which they can be produced, and it will take years to significantly increase production.

“‘Massive attack coming… wait, never mind, they want to negotiate.’ That’s theater diplomacy on loop. Using bullying + broken promises + fake news as leverage is a failed strategy,” Ghalibaf wrote on X.

“Acknowledge the facts and fulfill your commitments. We don’t need more theater,” the Iranian parliament speaker added.

Iranian officials have said that a deal with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz is close, but it won�t automatically mean the waterway will be open to all traffic.

“A ceasefire that leaves an average of one child dead each and every day is failing children,” said UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder. “With hundreds more children injured, many severely, children in Gaza are still waiting for the end to the violence they were promised.”

According to the latest numbers from Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli attacks since October 10 have killed a total of 1,255 Palestinians and wounded 4,125.

Burns and Toosi based their reporting on interviews with “two people familiar with the Trump administration’s plans for the island,” who were left anonymous due to the “sensitive” nature of the information they provided. The authors said the CIA, White House, Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence all declined requests for comment.

The report claimed the Trump Administration does not believe it has to resolve the war with Iran before taking military action in Cuba and that the Cuban issue is a “huge priority” of Secretary of State and Acting National Security Advisor Marco Rubio.

While the accuracy of the inside information cannot be verified, nor whether its status is official or unauthorized, the claims are consistent with recent rhetoric and actions of the Trump administration, and the US did reportedly take similar action before the January 3 attack on Venezuela to abduct President Nicolas Maduro.

Since the Cold War, the United States has become the preeminent world power, utilizing its heavily budgeted and expansive military to enforce its hegemony across the globe. During the later years of the 20th century especially, this has primarily taken the form of strategic bombing and overwhelming air power.

From the Gulf War to Iran, US defense leaders have made use of this strategy extensively, and besides serving as a destructive show of force, many claim it is the future of human warfare, and that high tech aircraft and weapons systems can and will be able to secure victory without deploying troops on the ground.

Dan Grazier, who is a Senior Fellow and Director of the National Security Reform Program at the Stimson Center, published a recent report disputing this very notion, claiming the limits of air power – which have been obvious in the current Iran war – are being largely ignored by the defense establishment in favor of plans for an expensive and high tech Air Force.

Netanyahu made the comments in a brief video posted to his Facebook page, where he denied that the IDF was withdrawing from Gaza. “I stand firm on our security interests. We will not withdraw from our current lines until Hamas is completely disarmed,” he said.

Netanyahu also suggested that Israeli attacks would continue in Gaza, saying he has directed “IDF soldiers to do whatever is necessary to protect themselves, our territory and our citizens.”

Dave DeCamp

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