US Military Confirms Iran War Has Caused Munitions Shortfall
The United States is facing ammunition shortages after months of war with Iran, according to a Defense Department inspector general report submitted to Congress.
The report found that Operation Epic Fury, the US campaign against Iran, cost an estimated $33.4 billion between February 28 and June 30. About $22.3 billion of that amount was spent on munitions. The heavy use of weapons has created strategic inventory shortages and exposed weaknesses in the US defence industrial base.
The Pentagon is working to speed up procurement, reduce production delays and build stocks of critical materials and weapons. However, the report warned that expanding production capacity will take significant time.
The shortages could also affect countries that depend on US weapons, including Ukraine, which needs Patriot air-defence interceptors, and Taiwan, which relies on US arms to strengthen its defence capabilities.
The report also detailed losses during the conflict, including four F-15 fighters and up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones destroyed, while one F-35 and seven KC-135 tanker aircraft were damaged. US bases across several Middle Eastern countries also suffered damage from Iranian attacks.
As of June 30, 14 US service members had died during the operation, including seven combat deaths, while 417 were wounded in action.
