The U.S. Department of Defense acknowledged in a report published Monday, September 14, that the war with Iran has caused a “shortage” of ammunition — a finding the Trump administration had largely refused to confirm in recent months. The admission marks a significant reversal for a president who campaigned in 2024 on a promise to stop entangling the United States in endless conflicts.
A $33.4 Billion Operation
The Pentagon Inspector General’s report estimates that between February 28 and June 30, “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran cost approximately $33.4 billion, of which $22.3 billion was spent on munitions fired alone.
“Munitions expenditures during Operation Epic Fury caused a shortage in strategic inventories and revealed bottlenecks within industries for munitions replenishment,” the document states. The report nonetheless praised measures taken by the department to accelerate production.
Contradicting the White House
When press reports in June suggested the United States was rationing its use of missiles, particularly interceptor types, the government denied it. Donald Trump even asserted that the country possessed “enormous quantities of munitions.” In early September, the president persisted, writing that the United States had “virtually unlimited quantities of munitions.”
According to the press, however, this munitions shortage pushed the president to refrain from renewing large-scale attacks against Tehran during the summer.
Extensive Damage Across the Gulf
The document, which covers the period from April to June 2026, also provides an assessment of the damage caused by the war. Despite the massive use of interceptors, “Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and facilities at U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan,” the Pentagon report notes.
The aircraft fleet was not spared either:
- Four F-15 fighter jets destroyed
- One F-35 damaged
- Seven KC-135 refueling tankers damaged or destroyed
- Up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper attack drones destroyed
The report estimates that “more than 50,000” U.S. military personnel were involved in the Gulf war, which was triggered on February 28 by Israeli-American strikes against Iran.
Retaliatory strikes by Tehran and its allies damaged diplomatic buildings in four countries — Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — the report specifies.
