$22.3 billion spent in 4 months: US confirms munitions shortage amid Iran war

The US' war on Iran has cost Washington an estimated $33.4 billion, including $22.3 billion spent on weapons and ammunitions, so far, a Pentagon watchdog report has revealed.

The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28 and assassinated their Supreme leader and other top officials. (HT)The US defence department also spent $7.4 billion on other costs linked to the war and lost military equipment worth $3.7 billion, according to the report released Monday. The estimate, from February 28 to June 29, does not include the cost of repairing damaged infrastructure.

The Lead Inspector General report, which covers US action in Iran through June 30, provided the first quarterly assessment of Operation Epic Fury and detailed the financial, military and logistical impact of the war.

Iranian strikes have also damaged or destroyed “hundreds of buildings and structures” at US military bases across the Gulf. The Pentagon's watchdog said the heavy use of US weapons during the onslaught “has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply.”

US acquisition officials told the inspector general that they were “working to streamline procurement processes and production lead times, and to stockpile critical materials, components, and selected munitions to respond rapidly to a contingency.”

Iranian strikes caused damage to hundreds of buildings and structures at US bases in the region, according to information provided by US Central Command to the inspector general.

US diplomatic facilities in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also sustained physical damage from Iranian strikes. The damage to those facilities was estimated at $184 million.

The report also documented significant losses to US military aircraft and drones.

A fifth-generation F-35A fighter jet was damaged by enemy fire, marking the first time an F-35A has suffered battle damage. Four F-15E fighter jets and an A-10 ground-attack aircraft were destroyed by the end of June.

Seven KC-135 refuelling aircraft were damaged or destroyed, while the US also lost seven helicopters and more than 30 drones.

The $22.3 billion spent on munitions accounted for a substantial share of the overall cost of the war. The report's assessment also comes as US President Donald Trump has repeatedly played down concerns about America's weapons inventories.

Before the report was released, Trump posted that the US “is producing more Exquisite and Elite Weapons than at any time in our History.”

On August 6, Trump said, “The US has massive amounts of ‘munitions,’ especially of certain types.” In another post on September 9, Trump said the US has “virtually unlimited amounts” of mid- to high-grade ammunition — “far more than we could ever use for this, or for any other War.”

In March, US war secretary Pete Hegseth said the department planned to seek about $200 billion in additional funding for the war and to replenish US weapons and equipment. By July, Hegseth told senators that the war cost $37.5 billion and defended an $88 billion emergency funding package, including $67.1 billion specifically for the Iran war.

The report said 11 US service members had been killed in action by the end of July, while another seven died in non-hostile incidents during the operation.

More than 400 US service members were wounded in action through the end of June, according to the report.

Anita Goswami is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, where she primarily covers Indian and international news. With four years of industry experience, she has led coverage of Indian General elections, Assembly elections, and national polls in the United States, Canada, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Her reporting covers global wars and major events, including Operation Sindoor, Sheikh Hasina's ouster and the Mahakumbh Mela. She verifies facts and uses clear sources to ensure accurate reporting. As former Chief Copy Editor at Storytailors, she managed teams to produce top-quality content for networks like NDTV, Profit, CNBC-TV18, Upstox and News18. Her work is featured in NDTV, Meaww, and Global Pulse. Throughout her tenure, Anita has collaborated with and been mentored by top industry experts. When not reading, Anita can be found outdoors or at a bakery. Fields of interest: Indian political history, international elections, historical policy analysis, global conflicts, cultural events, Formula 1, art, media ethics and reporting on socio-political change over time.Read More