Replenishing critical US munitions could take years, experts say, after a Pentagon inspector general found the war with Iran has depleted stocks and exposed supply bottlenecks. Restoring advanced missiles and defensive interceptors to pre-war levels is estimated to require about three years.
The Department of Defence’s inspector general put the operational bill at 33.4 billion dollars, or 29 billion euros, for the period between February 28 and June 30. That total includes just under 20 billion dollars spent on munitions, according to the report.
The audit says the scale and pace of weapons use created what it calls "strategic inventory shortfalls" and revealed weaknesses in the US defence industry's ability to replenish supplies. Those industry bottlenecks, the report argues, constrain how quickly stockpiles can be rebuilt.
The document also records widespread damage after Iranian strikes on US bases across the Middle East. It reports hundreds of buildings and other structures were damaged or destroyed, and it notes repair costs for that damage are not included in the 33.4 billion dollar figure.
President Donald Trump rejected the report's concerns about supply levels, saying US ammunition stocks are "virtually unlimited." The administration's public dismissal sits alongside expert warnings about the time needed to recover specialised interceptors and missiles.
The tally of munitions spending and the inspector general's language about inventory shortfalls together point to an extended logistics and procurement challenge for the Pentagon. With repair bills for damaged bases excluded from the current estimate and production constraints noted, the report implies a longer, costlier rebuilding task ahead for US defence planners.
