Pentagon inspector general says $22.3B spent on Iran war munitions has caused “strategic inventory shortfalls”

Updated on: September 15, 2026 / 5:56 AM EDT / CBS/AFP

The Defense Department's inspector general revealed Monday that the United States is facing a shortfall in ammunition as a result of its costly war in Iran.

In a first-of-its-kind mandatory report to 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.

"The munitions expenditure on OEF has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply," the report states.

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.

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. In addition, we are producing Munitions at levels never seen before. We…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/healthwatch/