US Faces Ammunition Shortfall After Iran War as Pentagon Watchdog Warns of Weapons Bottlenecks

The United States is facing strategic ammunition shortages after its six-month war against Iran, with a Pentagon watchdog warning that heavy weapons expenditure has exposed serious weaknesses in the country’s ability to replenish its stockpiles.

The Defence Department’s Office of Inspector General disclosed this in a mandatory report to Congress, estimating that Operation Epic Fury cost $33.4 billion between February 28 and June 30. Of that amount, $22.3 billion was spent on munitions used during the conflict.

The report said the scale of weapons consumption had created “strategic inventory shortfalls” while exposing bottlenecks in the US defence industrial base that could slow the replacement of critical munitions.

Operation Epic Fury is the US designation for its joint military campaign with Israel aimed at destroying Iran’s ability to project military power.

The Pentagon is now working to accelerate procurement, shorten production timelines and stockpile critical materials and components, according to the report. However, the watchdog warned that increasing weapons production capacity could take significant time.

The development could create additional concerns for countries that depend heavily on US weapons supplies, particularly Ukraine and Taiwan. Ukraine needs more interceptor missiles for its US-made Patriot air defence systems in its war with Russia, while Taiwan relies on American arms agreements to strengthen its defence against China.

The findings also contrast sharply with President Donald Trump’s repeated assurances that US weapons stocks remain strong. Trump recently described American ammunition supplies as “virtually unlimited” and said the country was producing advanced weapons at an unprecedented level.

The inspector general’s report also detailed significant losses suffered by US forces during the Iran conflict. Four F-15 fighter jets were destroyed, while one F-35 fighter, seven KC-135 tanker aircraft and as many as 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones were damaged or destroyed.

Iran also targeted the US Navy’s main regional logistics hub in Bahrain with drone and ballistic missile strikes. Hundreds of buildings and structures at American military facilities across Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan were damaged or destroyed.

The report estimated that seven US service members were killed in action during the operation, while another seven died in non-hostile incidents. A further 417 personnel were wounded in action.

The United States and Israel launched their war against Iran on February 28. The conflict has also renewed scrutiny of Washington’s ability to maintain weapons supplies while supporting allies and conducting large-scale military operations.