The Pentagon's inspector general has confirmed "shortfalls" in U.S. munitions and identified a bottleneck in resupply, directly contradicting President Donald Trump's repeated assertions that American weapon stockpiles are "virtually unlimited."
The independent watchdog's report, which provides an unusual glimpse into typically classified weapons data, found that the U.S. spent over $22 billion on munitions between February and June, resulting in "strategic inventory shortfalls."
Previous estimates had already suggested a concerning picture of U.S. shortages. The conflict has led to the expenditure of vast quantities of long-range ground attack systems and the air and missile defenses used to counter incoming attacks. A late July estimate from the Center for Strategic and International Studies indicated that stocks of certain interceptors, such as the Patriot missile and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems, were significantly depleted, in some cases by more than half.
The inspector general's report did not specify the exact remaining quantities of weapons but highlighted the inventory shortfalls and pointed to "industrial base bottlenecks" hindering munitions resupply. The Department of Defense is reportedly working to streamline procurement processes and production lead times to address these shortages and improve its ability to "respond rapidly to a contingency."
President Trump and other administration officials have consistently dismissed reports of shortages. In an August X post, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described such reporting as "not true." On September 3, Trump posted on Truth Social, claiming the U.S. possessed "virtually unlimited" ammunition and was actively "stockpiling and preparing for any contingency."
Beyond munitions, the inspector general's report also detailed equipment losses totaling $3.7 billion, with other expenditures reaching $7.4 billion. The total U.S. spending on the conflict from February 28 to June 30 was $33.4 billion. Among the reported losses were four F-15e fighter jets, one F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and 30 MQ-9 drones, lost under various circumstances.
Initially, President Trump had predicted the conflict would conclude within weeks. More recently, he suggested the war might extend beyond the U.S. midterm elections in November. Public opinion polls indicate the war is unpopular among Americans, with a September Reuters/Ipsos poll showing only 23% of Americans, and half of Republicans, believing the U.S. is in a stronger position with Iran compared to before hostilities began.