Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday that Pentagon lawyers will review whether Sen. Mark Kelly disclosed classified material when he warned on CBS that key U.S. munitions were heavily drawn down in the Iran war.
- Kelly replied that he quoted points aired in an open Senate hearing, posting a clip where Hegseth said it would take years to rebuild certain stockpiles.
- Kelly named Tomahawk cruise missiles, ATACMS, SM-3, THAAD, and Patriot interceptors, which are used to strike targets or shoot down incoming missiles, and he said the drawdown could leave the U.S. less prepared for another conflict.
- Independent assessments echo the concern, with CSIS estimating roughly half of some interceptor and strike missile inventories have been used and with officials noting a price tag of about $25 billion so far, much of it for munitions.
- It is not clear if a formal inquiry has been opened, and the review unfolds as courts weigh Hegseth’s earlier effort to punish Kelly over a November video, a push a federal judge blocked and appellate judges greeted with skepticism.