U.S. military says Iran war has led to munitions shortfall — SkimNews
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- U.S. Department of Defence's inspector general reported a strategic ammunition shortfall due to $22.3 billion in munitions expended during Operation Epic Fury between February 28 and June 30, 2026
- Operation Epic Fury cost an estimated $33.4 billion in four months, with the report highlighting industrial base bottlenecks in resupplying munitions
- U.S. military lost four F-15s, one F-35, seven KC-135 tankers, and up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones during the conflict with Iran
- Iranian strikes damaged or destroyed hundreds of structures at U.S. bases across eight Middle Eastern countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan
- President Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social that the U.S. is producing 'more Exquisite and Elite Weapons than at any time in our History,' dismissing concerns over depleted stockpiles
- CNN previously reported that the U.S. had nearly exhausted 80% of its THAAD interceptor stockpile, affecting Trump’s military strategy in the Iran conflict
Why it matters: The U.S. faces degraded combat readiness due to depleted missile inventories and damaged regional infrastructure, while the $33.4 billion price tag in just four months signals unsustainable war costs—directly contradicting Trump’s public assertions of limitless military capacity and undermining strategic credibility.
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