US Ammunition Shortage Due to Ongoing War with Iran

A new report from the Pentagon has revealed that the US is running low on ammunition because of the ongoing war with Iran.

The Department of Defence Inspector General submitted this report to the US Congress on Monday, as reported by the Washington Post.

This report shows the losses Washington has faced since the first strike in February. It is one of the first public accounts from any government agency detailing the cost and effects of the war on the military, the State Department, and other agencies.

The report contradicts President Donald Trump's statement about the US having unlimited weapons and producing even better ones. It stated that Washington is facing a shortage.

The report highlights that the US has suffered major losses to its ammunition stockpile, especially missiles and air-defence interceptors, since the war with Iran started on February 28.

The cost of the war with Iran is around $33.4 billion. This does not cover the cost of repairing damaged facilities.

About $22.3 billion was spent on munitions, as stated in the report. It also mentioned $3.7 billion in equipment losses and $7.4 billion in other expenses.

According to Al Jazeera, the report confirms that many buildings and structures used by the US were damaged or destroyed by Iranian attacks.

Iran also targeted the US Navy's main logistics hub in Bahrain with drones and ballistic missiles.

The US lost several aircraft, as reported. Four F-15E jet fighters, one F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, and an A-10 Warthog were destroyed.

The report added that twelve KC-135 refuelers and nine other aircraft were also lost. More than 30 MQ-9 drones had been destroyed as of June.

The report mentioned that the State Department faced over $208 million in damage across four countries: Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. This includes $184 million in damages to "diplomatic facilities" and $25 million more due to delays in construction projects.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the first American casualties happened in March after three US fighter jets crashed in Kuwait. Three American soldiers died in that crash, and four others were seriously injured. Shortly after, another US soldier was killed by Iranian missiles.

However, the Pentagon report stated the death toll at 18. It said at least 11 personnel were "killed in action," and seven died in "non-hostile events" during the war.

The report did not provide any details on the strike that killed over 165 elementary school girls in Tehran.

This paper reported the US strike on an elementary school in Minab, located in the Hormozgan province of Southern Iran, in February. Initially, five pupils were reported dead, but the number rose as emergency workers cleared the wreckage and found more victims.

The toll went from 95 to 118 and then to over 160 in just a few days.

In March, the Pentagon announced a formal investigation into the attack. By June, NBC reported that some senior US military officials said the investigation was nearing completion, and the Pentagon was ready to share it with lawmakers.