Pentagon Report Reveals US Faced Munitions Shortages During Iran War
A newly released Pentagon Inspector General report has acknowledged that the US military faced significant pressure on its weapons inventories during its conflict with Iran, while also exposing challenges in the country’s ability to quickly replenish munitions.
The report is the first assessment by the Pentagon Inspector General covering the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran. It examines the financial cost of the operation, damage to US facilities and equipment, and the impact on American weapons stocks.
According to the assessment, more than 50,000 US military personnel participated in the operation. Thousands of combat missions were conducted, with approximately $22.3 billion spent on munitions.
War Cost More Than $33 Billion
The Inspector General estimated the direct cost of the conflict between February 28 and June 30 at around $33.4 billion.
The spending was divided into three major categories:
- $22.3 billion for munitions
- $3.7 billion for equipment losses
- $7.4 billion for other expenses
The figure does not include several longer-term costs, such as repairing damaged facilities, replacing aircraft and rebuilding depleted weapons inventories.
This may explain why different estimates of the overall cost of the conflict have emerged.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth previously told Congress that the Pentagon’s costs had reached approximately $37.5 billion. Other reports had suggested that the eventual cost could be considerably higher once repairs, equipment replacement and weapons replenishment were included.
US Weapons Stocks Came Under Pressure
One of the most significant findings in the Inspector General’s report concerns America’s ability to maintain sufficient stocks of precision weapons.
The assessment said the conflict created strategic inventory shortages and highlighted limitations in the US defence industry’s ability to rapidly produce replacement munitions.
Earlier reports had already raised concerns about the pace at which American precision weapons were being used during the conflict.
The Inspector General said the Defence Department is now working to reduce procurement and manufacturing delays. Authorities are also building larger reserves of important raw materials, components and selected munitions to improve readiness for future emergencies.
US Military Bases Suffered Damage
The conflict also caused substantial damage to US military infrastructure across the Middle East.
According to the report, Iranian attacks damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and other structures at American bases in several countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.
A number of US aircraft and drones were also damaged or destroyed.
The report specifically confirmed attacks on the US Navy’s main logistics facility in Bahrain, where drones and ballistic missiles were used. At least 30 large US drones were reportedly destroyed during the period examined by the assessment.
Diplomatic Facilities Also Affected
The conflict was not limited to military installations. US diplomatic properties in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE also sustained significant physical damage.
The report estimated damage to those diplomatic facilities at approximately $184 million.
The State Department separately reported around $113 million in conflict-related costs, including nearly $80 million associated with contingency planning and evacuations.
More than 20,000 US military and diplomatic personnel were also displaced during the conflict.
Report Highlights Broader Impact
The Pentagon Inspector General’s findings indicate that the military campaign placed pressure on several areas of US defence operations, including weapons inventories, industrial production capacity, regional base security and personnel deployment.
The assessment therefore provides a broader picture of the conflict beyond the expenditure of weapons. It also highlights the logistical and industrial challenges involved in maintaining a sustained military operation and quickly replacing equipment and munitions.
