US military attacks Iran amid warnings over weapons stockpiles running dangerously low

The US military has been engaged in sustained combat operations against Iran since late February, and five months into Operation Epic Fury, the Pentagon has burned through virtually all of its global stockpile of long-range precision missiles, according to reports emerging in early August 2026.

The scale of the operation

Operation Epic Fury launched on February 28, 2026, and has since targeted more than 13,000 positions across Iran. The campaign has involved extensive airstrikes and missile exchanges, with US forces deploying Tomahawk cruise missiles, ATACMS, and other precision-guided munitions.

By early August, the US had reportedly used more than half of its Tomahawk cruise missile inventory. The situation with interceptor systems is similarly grim, with Patriot and THAAD missile defense stocks substantially reduced after months of repelling Iranian drone and missile strikes targeting US and allied bases across the Gulf region.

President Trump publicly dismissed concerns about a munitions crisis on or around August 6, asserting that the US maintains superior weapons capacity compared to any nation on earth. He also pointed to ongoing production ramp-ups designed to replenish what has been expended.

Trump emphasized that the US maintains superior munitions capacity compared to any nation and highlighted ongoing production ramp-ups to replenish depleted stocks.

Production cannot keep pace with consumption

Patriot missile production runs at roughly 600 to 700 units per year. A single large-scale Iranian attack can consume dozens of interceptors in minutes.

The depletion of ATACMS, the Army’s primary long-range tactical missile, is particularly notable given that the US had already been sending these systems to Ukraine before the Iran conflict began.

Strategic implications beyond Iran

The situation also exposes a structural vulnerability in how the US has managed its defense industrial base over the past several decades. Consolidation in the defense sector reduced the number of production lines for critical munitions, and building new production capacity requires skilled labor, specialized facilities, and supply chains that take years to establish.

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