US running out of long-range precision missiles

Reuters Daily Briefing <dailybriefing@thomsonreuters.com>
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2026-08-04 13:02

Daily Briefing

By Kate Turton

Hello. The status of US-Iran talks remains uncertain as the US has burned through "virtually all" of its long range precision missile stockpiles.

Meanwhile, in the US, Trump vowed to "bring free speech back", but judges in 75 cases ruled that he has stifled it.

Plus, SpaceX's satellite ambitions squeeze out rivals reliant on its rockets.

Today's Top News

Army Tactical Missile System at the inauguration of a new artillery plant of ammunition maker Rheinmetall, in Unterluess, Germany. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo

War in Iran

The US Army has used up much of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its war with Iran, raising concerns about the military's readiness for future conflicts. National Security Reporter Erin Banco tells the Reuters World News podcast it might mean turning to methods of fighting that bring American lives closer to the frontline.
Conflicting signals from the US and Iran over the status of talks to end their five-month-old war boosted uncertainty, with the latest attack on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz highlighting risks to global energy flows.

In other news

Left-wing Democrats now make up a clear majority of their party and view universal healthcare, greater abortion access and higher taxes on the rich as essential political positions, underscoring how Democrats have moved ‌leftward in recent years, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
The US State Department has notified Congress that it plans to close five foreign missions in a rare downsizing of ‌America's global diplomatic footprint, according to people familiar with the notice.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of committing a war crime after a video was released showing a drone chasing down and wounding a street vendor in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson..
Japan's government is portraying its accelerating military buildup not only as a way to protect the country, but as a route to greater prosperity, arguing in ‌its latest defense white paper that arms production can support economic growth.
Hundreds of migrants set up camp on a beach in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta as local authorities struggled to cope with the thousands still in the tiny territory after a massive border rush ‌last week.
Bangladesh has asked India to clarify its stance on exiled ‌former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's planned virtual address from New Delhi, warning that allowing political activities by a fugitive could hurt improving bilateral relations.

Business & Markets

SpaceX is increasingly reserving space on its rockets to launch its own Starlink satellites, crowding out rival space companies that have long depended on Elon Musk's company to get their payloads into orbit.
The Trump administration is drafting a ban on US imports of new models of Chinese data center components, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as it seeks to protect the infrastructure that undergirds the AI boom. Read our exclusive.
Mining lithium for batteries is a growing part of South Africa's plan to use the global shift towards green energy to revive its economy, but now it faces a challenge from thousands of angry farmers who fear losing productive land to open-pit mines.
Shein is seeking a valuation of $30 billion to $40 billion in a Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) that the online fast-fashion retailer plans to launch as early as mid-August, three people familiar with the matter said.
For Chinese consumers seeking luxury, prestige skincare is trumping designer bags as a prolonged property downturn and weaker confidence make price tags ever more decisive, even for premium goods.
US manufacturing just hit its strongest growth in four years — in the middle of a war. But is the American economy actually overheating? Find out on today's Reuters Morning Bid podcast.

Trump vowed to 'bring free speech back.' Judges ruled that he has stifled it

Trump answers questions from the media after signing an executive order, in the Oval Office at the White House. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

US President Donald Trump repeatedly campaigned for his second term as a champion of free expression, vowing in his January 2025 inaugural address to stop what he described as years of "government censorship."

Since then, a wave of court rulings has concluded his administration has done the opposite. Reuters identified 75 federal-judge rulings finding Trump’s government infringed on First-Amendment rights including freedoms of speech, religion, and the press.

Read more

And Finally...

The planet Neptune, including its "Great Dark Spot" seen in this image taken by the NASA spacecraft Voyager 2. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout via REUTERS /File Photo

New observations of some of Neptune's moons and rings are providing evidence of a catastrophe that occurred billions of years ago around the solar system's outermost planet in which a Pluto-sized interloper caused a celestial demolition derby.

Read more

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