The Pentagon's inspector general reported to Congress on Monday that the United States is experiencing ammunition shortages due to Operation Epic Fury against Iran, which cost $33.4 billion from February 28 to June 30, with $22.3 billion spent specifically on munitions. This spending has caused strategic inventory deficits and manufacturing bottlenecks for weapon resupply. The report also lists military losses including four F-15 aircraft destroyed and up to thirty MQ-9 Reaper drones lost.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
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Story summary
The US military is facing significant shortages of weapons and ammunition due to its conflict with Iran, which began on February 28. A Pentagon watchdog report released on Monday revealed that between February 28 and June 30, the war cost an estimated $33.4 billion, with $22.3 billion spent solely on munitions. The US has lost or damaged numerous aircraft, including four F-15 fighter jets destroyed, one F-35 jet damaged, seven KC-135 tanker aircraft (five of which were hit by Iranian munitions in Saudi Arabia), and up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones destroyed. Additionally, hundreds of buildings at US bases across Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan have been damaged or destroyed by Iranian attacks. Despite this, President Trump has repeatedly dismissed concerns over weapon shortages, claiming the U.S. possesses "virtually unlimited" ammunition.
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The Defense Department's inspector general revealed Monday that the United States is facing a shortfall in ammunition as a result of its costly
.In a first-of-its-kind mandatory report to Congress
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States → reveal → Congress
, the inspector said that between Feb. 28 and June 30, Operation Epic Fury (OEF) had an estimated cost of $33.4 billion, with $22.3 billion of that spent on munitions alone.
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billion → say → munitions
"The munitions expenditure on OEF has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply," the report states.
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report → result → resupply
It also lists American military assets lost in the war, including four F-15s destroyed, one F-35 damaged, seven KC-135 tanker aircraft damaged and up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones destroyed.
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It → list → aircraft
President Trump has repeatedly brushed off concerns of depleted weapons supplies during the six months of war in the Middle East, saying just two weeks ago that the U.S. has "virtually unlimited amounts of Mid to High Grade Ammunition, far more than we could ever use for this, or for any other War (which is highly unlikely!), that could improbably take place.
uncertain
that → brush → place
In addition, we are producing Munitions at levels never seen before.
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we → produce → levels
We are stockpiling and preparing for any contingency that could happen."
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that → stockpile → contingency
Mark Cancian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, when asked if the U.S. has enough weapons to see the Iran war through, told CBS News, "for a war against Iran, the answer is yes.
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answer → ask → Iran
We might be able to provide enough munitions for a month, but getting on to month two or month three or four, that's a great challenge."
uncertain
that → provide → month
Top Pentagon officials had also denied claims of U.S. munition shortages ahead of the inspector general's report dropping on Monday, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been urging the defense industry to increase weapons manufacturing, which Lockheed Martin's Tim Cahill, the head of the company's missile division, describes as "controlled chaos.
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Cahill → deny → chaos
"CBS Sunday Morning" was recently
to Lockheed Martin's production facility in Arkansas to see work on the latest model of the Patriot air defense missile.
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Morning → see → missile
The weapon is designed to shoot down incoming ballistic missiles, but each one costs around $4 million, and Lockheed Martin is currently producing 750 of them a year.
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Martin → design → them
Additionally, the inspector general's report says the U.S. State Department spent $79.2 million responding to "contingencies stemming from the Iran conflict, such as evacuation-related expenses for State personnel and their family members, U.S. citizens, and eligible third-country nationals."
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Department → say → personnel
The report put the price tag to repair "physical damage from Iranian strikes" to U.S. diplomatic facilities in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE at approximately $184 million.
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report → put → million
The report notes also that "Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan," but it does not include costs estimates and says it's not yet clear if all the bases will be repaired, or who would foot the bill.
In April, a Pentagon official estimated in testimony on Capitol Hill the cost of Operation Epic Fury
, but U.S. officials familiar with internal assessments told CBS News soon after that the true price tag of the Iran war at the time was .
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tag → note → time
The Aporia
