Four months of combat exposed the distance between America’s military reach and its ability to replace advanced weapons.
WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES
The United States faces shortages of critical munitions after its military campaign against Iran consumed weapons faster than the defence industry can replace them, according to the Pentagon inspector general’s first comprehensive assessment of the conflict.
Operation Epic Fury cost approximately $33.4 billion between February 28 and June 30. More than $22.3 billion was spent on missiles and other munitions, while destroyed or damaged aircraft and military equipment accounted for an additional $3.7 billion.
The report identifies strategic inventory shortfalls involving advanced offensive weapons and air-defence interceptors, including systems associated with Patriot and THAAD batteries. Production remains constrained by limited supplies of solid rocket motors, specialized explosives and propellants, as well as shortages of qualified workers.
Iranian attacks also damaged or destroyed hundreds of structures at American bases across the Middle East. Up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones and seven KC-135 aerial refuelling aircraft were reportedly lost or damaged, while strikes disrupted the US Navy’s principal regional logistics centre in Bahrain.
The findings contrast with repeated assurances from President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that American weapons supplies remain effectively unlimited. The White House has requested more than $67 billion in emergency Pentagon funding, including approximately $21 billion to replenish munitions.
Rebuilding inventories of sophisticated missiles could require several years. The problem therefore extends beyond the immediate conflict: every interceptor used against Iran reduces the reserves available for deterring or confronting other major adversaries, particularly China and Russia.
Military power depends not only on the weapons deployed, but on the capacity to replace them.