Pentagon inspector confirms Iran war led to US munitions shortfalls; Hegseth called reports 'not true', Trump claims 'virtually unlimited' ammo

The Pentagon's inspector general has confirmed that the ongoing war with Iran has resulted in significant munitions shortfalls, contradicting President Donald Trump's assertions of 'virtually unlimited' supplies.

The report indicates that the US spent over $22 billion on munitions from February to June, leading to strategic inventory shortfalls.

A late July estimate from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) revealed that stocks of critical interceptors, including the Patriot missile and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), were significantly depleted, in some cases by more than half.

The inspector general's report did not specify the exact number of remaining weapons but highlighted industrial base bottlenecks affecting munitions resupply.

In response to the report, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth labeled the news reporting on shortages as "not true" in an August 4 post. Meanwhile, Trump, in a September 3 post, reiterated that the US is "stockpiling and preparing for any contingency that could happen."²

The report also noted that equipment losses have totaled $3.7 billion, with an additional $7.4 billion in other expenditures, bringing the total US spending on the war to $33.4 billion from February 28 to June 30. Among the losses were four F-15E fighter jets, a highly advanced F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and 30 MQ-9 drones destroyed in various circumstances.