Iran war leaves US military facing ammunition shortfall

The U.S. Department of Defence's inspector general has reported on September 14, 2026, that the United States is experiencing a shortage of ammunition due to the ongoing war in Iran. In a mandatory report to Congress, the inspector revealed that Operation Epic Fury (OEF), which commenced on February 28 and concluded on June 30, had a budget of $33.4 billion, with $22.3 billion allocated to munitions.

The report indicated that the expenditure on OEF has led to strategic inventory shortfalls and identified bottlenecks in the industrial base for munitions resupply. It also detailed losses sustained by the American fleet, including the destruction of four F-15s, one damaged F-35, seven damaged KC-135 tanker aircraft, and up to 30 destroyed MQ-9 Reaper drones.

President Donald Trump had initially dismissed concerns about depleted weapons stores during the six months of conflict in West Asia, claiming that the U.S. possessed virtually unlimited ammunition. However, on September 14, President Trump reiterated on his Truth Social platform that the U.S. is currently manufacturing more Exquisite and Elite Weapons than at any point in history.

The CNN news outlet had earlier reported that shortages of long-range guided missiles and air-defence interceptors had impacted President Trump's strategy in the conflict with Iran. The U.S. military had reportedly exhausted nearly 80% of its stock of THAAD interceptors. During the first 24 hours of the war against Iran, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that the United States targeted over 1,000 Iranian sites.

However, the report did not include the costs of Iranian strikes that damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at U.S. bases across multiple countries, excluding the financial repercussions of these incidents.