A former top US military officer has cautioned that American missile inventories can be depleted quickly in a sustained conflict, pushing back on Donald Trump’s assertion that the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of key weapons.

Speaking to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, retired Adm Mike Mullen — a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — said “depletion is pretty rapid”, warning that high rates of interception and strike operations can burn through stockpiles faster than many political leaders acknowledge.

The comments come as the US and its partners rely heavily on air defences and long-range munitions, where resupply and production timelines can become a limiting factor even for major militaries.