US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: The scale of the United States’ military campaign against Iran is becoming clearer months after the fighting began. A new Pentagon watchdog assessment has revealed not only the enormous financial burden of Operation Epic Fury, but also the pressure the campaign placed on American weapons reserves, aircraft fleets, military bases and personnel.
The US military spent an estimated $33.4 billion through June 29, according to the Inspector General report. Munitions accounted for the biggest share at $22.3 billion, and equipment losses were estimated at another $3.7 billion. The assessment also warned that the intense use of weapons had created strategic inventory shortfalls and exposed weaknesses in the US defence industrial base.
The findings give a broader picture of the cost of the US-Israel war against Iran, which began on February 28. Earlier estimates had focused largely on battlefield spending, but the latest assessment shows how the operation also strained America’s ability to replace sophisticated weapons and sustain military infrastructure across the Middle East.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Operation Epic Fury Cost – Where Did the $33.4 Billion Go?
The Pentagon’s estimate puts the cost of the operation at $33.4 billion as of June 29.
Of that amount:
- $22.3 billion: expended munitions
- $7.4 billion: cumulative operational obligations
- $3.7 billion: equipment losses based on replacement costs
The munitions bill represents the largest component of the overall estimate, highlighting the extraordinary amount of missiles, bombs and other weapons the US used during the campaign.
The White House had already sought additional funding as the conflict placed pressure on military stocks. On June 24, the administration submitted an $87.6 billion emergency supplemental request, including $67.1 billion for the Pentagon. About $21 billion was specifically earmarked for munitions.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Pentagon Report Warns of Strategic Munitions Shortfall
The most significant finding may not be the $33.4 billion price tag but what the spending did to America’s weapons reserves.
The Inspector General’s report said munitions expenditure during Operation Epic Fury “has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply.”
The report identified several problems that could slow efforts to rebuild US weapons stocks. These include limited production of solid rocket motors, shortages of high-grade explosives and propellants, and difficulties recruiting skilled manufacturing workers.
The Pentagon said it is working to reduce procurement delays, shorten production timelines and build stocks of critical materials and selected weapons. However, the report noted that the defence industrial base requires “significant lead time” to increase production capacity.
This creates a difficult challenge for Washington: even if additional money becomes available quickly, some sophisticated weapons cannot be replaced immediately because manufacturers need time to expand production.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: US Aircraft Losses Mount During Iran War
Operation Epic Fury also imposed a heavy toll on US air assets.
The campaign involved fighter jets, tankers, helicopters, surveillance aircraft and drones, with losses caused by both combat and operational incidents.
Among the most notable losses were four F-15E fighter jets. Three were reportedly lost to friendly fire, while one was attributed to enemy action. A US F-35A also suffered damage from enemy fire while operating over Iran.
An A-10 was destroyed after US forces discarded it following damage sustained while returning from a combat search and rescue mission.
The losses underline the complexity of maintaining a large-scale air campaign over and around Iran, particularly when aircraft must operate alongside a huge network of tankers, surveillance platforms and rescue helicopters.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: KC-135 Tanker Fleet Took Major Hit
The US refuelling fleet also suffered significant losses.
The watchdog report identified seven KC-135 refuelling aircraft that were damaged or destroyed. Five were hit while on the ground in Saudi Arabia, and another KC-135 was involved in a mid-air collision over Iraq.
The KC-135 fleet plays a crucial role in keeping US combat aircraft airborne for long-range missions. Damage to tanker aircraft can therefore have an impact far beyond the individual aircraft lost.
The report also recorded damage to an E-3 airborne early-warning aircraft while it was on the ground in Saudi Arabia. AP reported that Iranian attacks damaged or destroyed dozens of American aircraft and drones, including as many as 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: MQ-9 Reaper Drones Among Major US Losses
Unmanned aircraft suffered particularly heavy attrition during the campaign.
The report recorded the destruction of as many as 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones. AP noted that each MQ-9 costs around $30 million, making the drone losses significant even before considering the intelligence and surveillance capabilities they provide.
The campaign also exposed the vulnerability of expensive surveillance platforms operating in a contested environment. Earlier reporting had already pointed to a substantial decline in the US MQ-9 fleet following combat losses during Operation Epic Fury. The latest watchdog assessment now provides a fuller official picture of the losses.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Helicopters Also Suffered Losses
American rotary-wing aircraft faced their own challenges during combat search and rescue missions and other operations. One HH-60W helicopter sustained damage during CSAR operations, while four AH-6 helicopters were destroyed by US forces after they were deemed unrecoverable.
A separate AH-64 helicopter was shot down over the Strait of Hormuz, while an MH-60 helicopter crashed over the Arabian Sea. These incidents demonstrate that the campaign’s aircraft losses were not limited to frontline fighter jets. Support, rescue and surveillance missions also exposed American crews and equipment to significant risks.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: US Military Casualties in Operation Epic Fury
The human cost also continued to rise during and after the reporting period.
Between February 28 and June 30, the Pentagon recorded:
- 7 US service members killed in action
- 7 killed in non-hostile incidents
- 417 wounded in action
The report also recorded four additional combat deaths in July, after the formal reporting period ended. Anadolu Agency cited the Pentagon watchdog report for the casualty figures.
The numbers show that the military’s losses came from both combat with Iranian forces and accidents or other operational incidents.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Iran War Also Damaged US Military Bases
The financial impact extends beyond aircraft and weapons.
The Pentagon watchdog found that Iranian attacks damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at US bases across the Middle East, including facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.
One of the most important targets was the US naval facility in Bahrain, a major regional logistics hub. Iranian drones and ballistic missiles struck the base, forcing US Central Command to shift some supply operations to alternative locations farther away, including Diego Garcia.
The report said the change created logistics cycles of 14 to 18 days for some operations in the region.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Why the $33.4 Billion Figure May Not Be the Final Cost?
The Pentagon’s $33.4 billion estimate does not represent the complete economic cost of the campaign.
The figure does not include all infrastructure repair expenses because US officials said they could not produce a reliable estimate while Washington’s future basing posture in the region remained uncertain.
It also does not capture wider economic consequences linked to the conflict, including disruptions to energy markets and the impact of the Iran conflict on oil prices and regional trade.
The State Department separately reported $184 million in damage to US diplomatic facilities in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. It also reported additional costs linked to emergency operations and the evacuation of roughly 9,000 US citizens from affected regions.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Trump, Pentagon Face Munitions Shortfall Questions
The watchdog’s findings could intensify questions over America’s ability to sustain a prolonged high-intensity conflict.
The Pentagon and President Donald Trump have repeatedly pushed back against claims that US weapons stocks were dangerously depleted. Trump said the US had “massive amounts” of ammunition and that American defence companies were expanding production.
However, the Inspector General’s assessment provides an official acknowledgement that the campaign created strategic inventory gaps and exposed production bottlenecks.
That distinction matters. A weapons shortage does not necessarily mean the US has run out of ammunition. Instead, the report points to concerns about whether Washington can replenish sophisticated weapons quickly enough while maintaining readiness for another major conflict.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Operation Epic Fury’s Bigger Military Lesson
The latest report changes the picture of Operation Epic Fury from a campaign measured only by battlefield strikes.
The operation consumed tens of billions of dollars, placed heavy demands on American weapons stocks, damaged military infrastructure and resulted in losses across fighters, tankers, helicopters and drones.
Most importantly, the Pentagon watchdog has now formally acknowledged that the campaign exposed weaknesses in America’s ability to replenish some advanced weapons.
For Washington, the challenge now extends beyond counting the cost of the Iran war. The bigger question is how quickly the United States can rebuild its weapons inventory, repair damaged bases and restore the military capacity consumed during Operation Epic Fury.
