US military confirms Iran war has led to munitions shortfall

The US Department of Defence has confirmed a shortfall in ammunition due to its war with Iran. According to the Defence Department's inspector general, the war, referred to as Operation Epic Fury, has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply.

The inspector general's report estimated the cost of the war at $33.4 billion as of June 29, including $22.3 billion for expended munitions and $3.7 billion in equipment losses based on replacement cost. The report also noted that Iranian strikes have damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at US military bases across the Gulf.

President Donald Trump has denied media reports of depleted arms stockpiles, saying the US has "virtually unlimited" stock. However, the Pentagon's watchdog said it is working to streamline procurement processes and production lead times, and to stockpile critical materials, components, and selected munitions to respond rapidly to a contingency.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, Al-Monitor, Middle East Eye, Hindustan Times - World News, Euronews — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.