Pentagon Warns of Ammunition Shortfall Following Iran Conflict

The Defense Department’s inspector general confirmed on Monday that the United States is experiencing an ammunition shortage stemming from its conflict with Iran, contradicting President Donald Trump’s claims of ample stockpiles.

In a unprecedented mandatory report to Congress, the inspector noted that Operation Epic Fury (OEF) incurred an estimated $33.4 billion in costs between February 28 and June 30, with $22.3 billion allocated to expended munitions.

“The munitions spending during OEF has created strategic inventory shortfalls and exposed bottlenecks in the industrial base for resupplying munitions,” the report stated.

Operation Epic Fury is the United States’ designation for its joint campaign with Israel aimed at destroying Iran’s capacity to project military power, as stated by US Central Command (CENTCOM).

To address the shortages and delays, the Pentagon is “working to streamline procurement processes and production lead times, and to stockpile critical materials, components, and selected munitions,” according to the report.

The report cautioned that expanding production capacity would necessitate significant lead time.

The shortfall is expected to raise concerns in countries such as Ukraine and Taiwan, which depend on U.S. arms purchases to counter larger, hostile neighbors.

Ukraine urgently requires additional interceptor missiles for its U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems in its war against Russia, whereas Taiwan relies on arms agreements with Washington to deter China, which claims the self‑governed island as its own.

– ‘Virtually unlimited’ –

Trump has repeatedly dismissed worries about depleted weapons stocks during the six‑month Middle East conflict, recently asserting that the United States possesses “virtually unlimited” ammunition.

On Monday he posted on his Truth Social platform that the United States is producing “more exquisite and elite weapons than at any time in our history.”

CNN previously reported that shortages of long‑range guided missiles and air‑defense interceptors had impacted Trump’s strategy in the Iran conflict, noting that the U.S. military had “nearly exhausted 80%” of its THAAD interceptor stock.

During the first 24 hours of the war against Iran, the United States struck more than 1,000 targets, CENTCOM said, and has not resumed such large‑scale attacks in recent months.

The report documented losses to the American fleet, including four F‑15 fighters destroyed, one F‑35 fighter damaged, seven KC‑135 tanker aircraft damaged, and up to 30 MQ‑9 Reaper drones destroyed.

It also confirmed that the U.S. Navy’s primary logistics hub in the region, situated in Bahrain, had been targeted by Iran with drone and ballistic missile strikes.

Hundreds of buildings and structures at U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan have been damaged or destroyed by Iranian strikes during the conflict.

The report does not incorporate those costs into its estimates, noting that it remains unclear whether all the bases will be rebuilt or who will bear the expense.

As of June 30, seven U.S. service members had been killed in action and seven killed in non‑hostile incidents during OEF combat operations, according to the report.

An additional 417 service members were wounded in action, the report added.

The United States and Israel initiated the war against Iran on February 28.

For decades, Western powers have accused the Islamic Republic of pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge that Tehran categorically denies.

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