U.S. defense officials have warned about ammunition shortages following military operations in Iran. The oversight report from the U.S. Department of Defense, by Blat B. Morig III, indicates that President Donald Trump's "Epic Fury" operation has cost $33.4 billion in its first four months and has resulted in ammunition shortages.
Inventory Shortages and Damage to Military Assets
The Defense Department's oversight report specifies that this attack "has led to a shortage of strategic inventory and the emergence of industrial bottlenecks for ammunition supply." The report also mentions the damage inflicted on U.S. military assets by retaliatory attacks from Tehran. In particular, four F-15E aircraft and up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones are reported as destroyed, while one F-35A, seven KC-135 tanker aircraft, and seven helicopters are listed as damaged.
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The F-35A aircraft is recognized as the first of its kind to be damaged by enemy fire, with the replacement cost estimated at $92 million. Additionally, the production cost of one F-15E is about $31.1 million, meaning the replacement cost for four of them amounts to $124.4 million.
Additional Costs and War Impacts
The U.S. has also spent $79.2 million in response to emergency situations arising from this conflict, including costs related to the evacuation of State Department personnel and their families, American citizens, and nationals of other countries. Damage to U.S. diplomatic facilities in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates has also added $184 million to these costs.
Furthermore, Iran's attacks on military buildings and infrastructure in Gulf countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan, have incurred additional costs, although the report does not specify these costs as it remains unclear whether these infrastructures will be repaired and who will bear the repair costs.
In response to the findings of this report, Mark Cancian from the Center for Strategic and International Studies stated that the U.S. still has enough ammunition for the war with Iran, but may face serious challenges in supplying ammunition for a war with China.
The Trump administration has repeatedly emphasized that the U.S. is not facing ammunition shortages. However, reports in early August indicate that Trump discussed this issue with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at Camp David in Maryland and expressed frustration that he thought the problem was "resolved."
Trump reacted to this story on his social media platform, Truth Social, threatening "whistleblowers" who spoke to the media with imprisonment.
In this context, reports from the U.S. military indicate that the country has significantly reduced its long-range missile stockpiles and has nearly used all of its critical surface-to-surface weapons.
On Monday, Trump again claimed on his social media platform that "the United States is producing more superior and top-notch weapons than ever in its history" and added that "these weapons are being delivered daily to our forces in the Middle East and beyond."
This heavily criticized war has continued for another 10 weeks, with no signs of its end, although Trump has stated he is "ready" for negotiations with Iran, while emphasizing that the final decision rests with him.
In this conflict, at least 18 American soldiers have been killed and over 750 members of the armed forces have been injured.
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Source: independent.co.uk
