Pentagon watchdog finds munitions shortfall in Iran conflict report

Iran conflict cost $33.4 billion through June, report says

The Department of Defense inspector general on Monday released its first formal accounting of the Iran conflict, finding that munitions expenditure “has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply.”

The congressionally mandated report, the first of its kind since the conflict began in late February, covers operations through June 30. The report found the conflict cost about $33.4 billion during that period — a figure that does not include the cost of repairing damaged U.S. military facilities. The watchdog said the Defense Department “is working to streamline procurement processes and production lead times, and to stockpile critical materials, components and selected munitions to respond rapidly to a contingency.”

The $33.4 billion figure is lower than other recent estimates. NBC News reported in July that the war had so far cost between $80 billion and $100 billion. The Pentagon said in July that the conflict had cost $37.5 billion so far, a figure that also did not include infrastructure repairs and other costs.

The inspector general offered no estimate of the cost to repair U.S. military facilities. The report did project an estimated $184 million needed to repair U.S. diplomatic facilities in the Middle East.

The report, citing communications with U.S. Central Command, said that “Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, [United Arab Emirates], Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.” It also confirmed that Iran targeted the U.S. Navy’s main logistics hub in the area, located in Bahrain.

On Monday, Trump said in a social media post that the United States is “producing more Exquisite and Elite Weapons than at any time in our History.”

“They are being delivered on a daily basis to our Forces in the Middle East and beyond,” Trump wrote. He did not directly address the inspector general’s findings in his post.

The president has previously rejected reporting about munitions supply issues. In early August, Trump said on social media that the United States has “massive amounts” of munitions, called statements to the contrary “treasonous” and said those making them will be “hunted down.” “Long term jail sentences will be sought!” he wrote. On Sept. 3, the president posted that the United States has “virtually unlimited” amounts of ammunition and called those reporting shortfalls “treasonous SCUM.”

Pete Hegseth, the department’s leader, has also denied previous reports that munitions stockpiles were depleted.

The watchdog’s report marks the department’s first formal accounting of losses from the Iran conflict, which started in late February. The congressionally mandated review covers the period through June 30.