Since the outbreak of the Iran war, the U.S. has depleted "years" of ammunition reserves.

The United States is rapidly depleting its critical weapon stockpiles in the war with Iran, and the resulting military spending pressure is quickly spreading to the political level.

According to media reports on Friday, three informed sources revealed that since the outbreak of the war on February 28, the Trump administration has exhausted “years” of accumulated critical munitions, including advanced long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Meanwhile, the war has caused key maritime trade routes to come to a halt, and international oil prices have surged past $100 per barrel. The Pentagon is expected to submit an additional military budget request of up to $50 billion to the White House and Congress in the coming days.

As previously reported by CCTV News, on the afternoon of March 6 local time, President Trump posted on social media that he had “just finished a very successful meeting with America’s largest defense manufacturer to discuss production and production plans.” According to Trump, these companies have agreed to increase the production of “high-grade” weapons “fourfold” “so that the U.S. can reach the highest production levels as soon as possible.”

This situation puts Trump under multiple pressures during an election year—rising oil prices are eroding voter support, and both parties in Congress are taking a hard stance on additional military funding. Concerns over whether ammunition supplies can be replenished in time are also intensifying at military and policy levels.

Tomahawk Missile Consumption Is Astonishing, Navy Faces “Years” of Pressure

The scale of ammunition consumption has deeply shocked military officials. An informed source familiar with U.S. military munitions usage stated that this war has caused a “large-scale depletion” of Tomahawk missiles, and “the Navy will be under pressure for years.”

Tomahawk missiles are subsonic cruise missiles equipped with a 1,000-pound warhead, produced by U.S. weapons manufacturer RTX, costing $3.6 million each. However, the U.S. military has only purchased 322 in the past five years, including 57 reserved for the Navy for fiscal year 2026, with a procurement value of approximately $206.6 million. This means that the number potentially consumed in recent operations far exceeds what can be replenished in the short term.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, within the first 100 hours after the war began on February 28, the U.S. military had used 168 Tomahawk missiles. Additionally, in operations targeting Houthi forces in Yemen and Iranian nuclear facilities from 2024 to 2025, at least 124 Tomahawks have been used, with over 24 used in the strike on the Isfahan facility alone.

Beyond Tomahawks, U.S. missile reserves such as THAAD interceptors and Patriot missiles are also under pressure. A U.S. congressman stated that these weapon systems “consume a large amount and will take years to replenish,” while Iran continues to launch attacks using Shahed drones costing only $30,000 each. Democratic Senator and Air Force veteran Mark Kelly bluntly said, “This just doesn’t add up.”

$50 Billion Additional Request Faces Bipartisan Resistance in Congress

Earlier this week, Pentagon officials briefed senators that the initial six days of strikes had cost over $11 billion, with the vast majority spent on munitions.

Facing an upcoming $50 billion supplemental funding request, political resistance on Capitol Hill is significant. The Republican-controlled House has a narrow majority, and fiscal conservatives are expected to strongly oppose large-scale military spending—especially if the White House attempts to bundle other public expenditure items, such as agricultural tariff relief, into the military funding bill. Democratic lawmakers, citing Trump’s unauthorized war against Iran, criticize the military action as illegal and may also refuse to approve additional funding for the Pentagon.

Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, warned on Thursday that Congress will not accept the White House simply treating its role as “writing a check.” She stated that the Pentagon must “fully communicate with Congress” and provide necessary information and justifications.

Former Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took a different stance. Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday, he urged colleagues to approve the military supplemental budget request, calling it a “long-overdue opportunity to invest in urgent strategic defense priorities,” and warned that “weakness will only invite challenges.”

In response to external doubts, the White House and Pentagon insist that ammunition supplies are sufficient. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated last week, “Our ammunition reserves are not short; our stockpiles of offensive and defensive weapons are enough to sustain this campaign for as long as needed.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also said Thursday that the U.S. military has “ample ammunition, bullets, and weapon reserves” to achieve the goals of the “epic fury operation.”

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