A New York Times report says the United States has significantly depleted its weapons stockpile during the war on Iran. The report estimates that billions of dollars worth of missiles and munitions were used in sustained military operations. It warns the depletion may affect US readiness for future conflicts.
According to the investigation, the US used over 1,200 Patriot interceptor missiles during the campaign. It also fired more than 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles and thousands of other precision strike weapons. Many systems were reportedly used at rates far above normal annual consumption.
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The report says long-range and missile defense inventories have been heavily strained. Officials cited by the paper warned that stock levels of key systems are now worryingly low. Some categories of weapons were already limited before the conflict began.
Independent estimates cited in the report place the total cost of the war between $28 billion and $35 billion. Pentagon spending reached nearly $1 billion per day during peak operations. The Defense Department is now seeking additional congressional funding to replenish stockpiles.
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The White House rejected the report’s conclusions, saying the US military remains fully equipped and capable. However, defense analysts quoted in the report warned that reduced inventories could affect preparedness against China and Russia. The Pentagon has not publicly confirmed total munitions usage figures.