Story summary
In a report released on Monday by the Pentagon's Inspector General, it was revealed that the six-month war on Iran has led to significant munitions shortages and industrial base bottlenecks for resupply in the United States. Between February 28 and June 30, Operation Epic Fury cost an estimated $33.4 billion, with $22.3 billion spent solely on munitions. The conflict resulted in extensive damage: four F-15 fighter jets destroyed, up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones lost, one F-35 jet and seven KC-135 tanker aircraft damaged, and hundreds of buildings at U.S. bases across Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan were either damaged or destroyed.
Despite these shortages, President Donald Trump has repeatedly downplayed the issue, claiming that the U.S. possesses "virtually unlimited amounts" of ammunition. However, Pentagon officials have confirmed ongoing challenges in resupplying munitions due to increased demand and industrial constraints. The report underscores the logistical strain and financial burden of sustaining such a prolonged military operation against Iran. Despite these setbacks, Trump remains open to negotiating an end to hostilities but retains final authority over any potential resolution.
Written for “Iran War Munitions Shortfall” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 24 other(s) covering the same event.
Active-duty U.S. service members have leaked photos to CBS News that depict damage to American military infrastructure in the Middle East during the Iran war.
asserted
that → leak → war
The images, which are undated and were shared anonymously, appear to show the aftermath of missile and drone strikes on U.S. facilities in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
asserted
which → undate → Arabia
The previously unseen images underscore the far-reaching impact of President Donald Trump’s war with Iran, now in its seven month with no clear end in sight.
asserted
images → underscore → sight
“This is major damage to our bases that hasn't been communicated to the American public,” one service member told CBS News.
asserted
member → communicate → News
“We're standing there with our eyes closed getting punched in the face.”
asserted
eyes → stand → face
One photo, from Prince Sultan Air Force Base in Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia, shows a four-engine Boeing aircraft with a large section of its fuselage and radar dome missing.
asserted
section → show → fuselage
Debris is scattered across the runway and sand.
asserted
Debris → scatter → runway
Earlier images of what appeared to be the same damaged plane had circulated on social media in March.
asserted
what → appear → March
Another image from the base — which houses thousands of U.S. military personnel — shows a building gutted by a strike, with sections of its roof and walls torn away.
asserted
sections → house → roof
Photos from Camp Buehring and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait show similar destruction: a charred truck, a damaged three-story building and a field of trailers flattened after a strike.
asserted
Photos → show → strike
Another image shows a dark plume of smoke rising from what appears to be a large tent-like structure.
asserted
what → show → smoke
The CBS News report quickly gained traction on social media, drawing more than 1 million views on X alone and prompting reactions from former U.S. military personnel and policy experts.
asserted
report → gain → personnel
“This is shocking to me after having served at some of these locations,” wrote Fred Wellman, a retired Army officer and Democratic candidate for Congress in Missouri.
asserted
Wellman → serve → Missouri
“The ‘damaged’ AWACS [Airborne Warning and Control System] has suffered a catastrophic hit,” wrote Sina Azodi, a professor of Middle East studies at George Washington University, referring to the image of the Boeing aircraft.
asserted
Azodi → suffer → aircraft
The Independent has contacted the Pentagon and White House for comment.
asserted
Independent → contact → comment
Trump administration officials, who say the war is necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, have repeatedly emphasized the damage U.S. forces have inflicted on Iran.
asserted
forces → say → Iran
They have said Iran’s military has effectively been wiped out and that vast numbers of Iranian leaders have been killed.
asserted
numbers → say → leaders
“Iran is officially a Failed Nation,” President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social last month.
asserted
Trump → write → Social
“They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, they have no currency, they are not paying their soldiers or police, Inflation is at 300%, and their leadership is in total disarray and incapable of properly representing the country.”
asserted
leadership → have → country
At the same time, Trump and members of his administration have said little about damage the U.S. military has sustained and, at times, have appeared to minimize it.
asserted
military → say → it
In March, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described Iranian strikes on U.S. bases as “squirters,” telling reporters that “every once in a while you might have one” that penetrates air defenses.
uncertain
that → describe → defenses
Last week, Trump denied reports that Iranian strikes had damaged U.S. military aircraft in Jordan.
asserted
strikes → deny → Jordan
Asked by a NewsNation journalist whether there was truth to the report, Trump replied: “None whatsoever…
asserted
Trump → ask → None
Yet, the U.S. has paid a heavy price for the war, measured in lives lost and economic ramifications.
asserted
U.S. → pay → lives
Some 18 U.S. service members have been killed and more than 700 have been wounded, according to the Pentagon.
uncertain
700 → kill → Pentagon
In Iran, at least 3,636 people have been killed, according to HRANA, a U.S.-based human rights group.
uncertain
people → kill → HRANA
This week, the Pentagon’s inspector general acknowledged in a report that Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and other structures at American bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.
asserted
strikes → acknowledge → Kuwait
Last month, NBC News reported that Iran had inflicted “billions” of dollars in damage on U.S. intelligence infrastructure, including surveillance equipment, in the Middle East.
asserted
Iran → report → East
That same month, CBS News reported that the U.S. military had used nearly all of its stockpiled long-range precision missiles during the conflict — an assessment Trump disputed.
asserted
Trump → report → assessment
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated this week the Iran war has cost the Pentagon about $38 billion, amounting to about $246 million per day.
asserted
war → estimate → day
The broader U.S. economy has also been impacted, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil supply route, triggering spikes in global fuel prices.
asserted
closure → impact → prices
On Wednesday, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. stood at $4.63, according to AAA, up from $2.98 two days before the war began.
uncertain
war → stand → 2.98
Recent polling suggests the war is broadly unpopular in the U.S.
uncertain
war → suggest → U.S.
A July AP-NORC survey found that just 28 percent of Americans approved of Trump’s handling of the conflict.
asserted
percent → find → conflict
The Aporia
.jpeg?trim=46,0,353,0&width=1200&height=800&crop=1200:800)
