The Trump administration has already used up key ammunition in “years” since the start of the conflict with Iran, the Financial Times said, citing three people familiar with the situation.
The rapid depletion raised concerns about the rising costs of the war and Washington’s ability to replenish its weapons stockpile, the report said.
Read also | Iran War Costs $11.3 Billion; AGM-154 bombs purchased 20 years ago, used
Earlier, lawmakers were told at a Pentagon briefing that the first week of the conflict with Iran had cost the United States more than $11.3 billion, according to a New York Times report, highlighting how quickly the war is depleting weapons and resources. The Times, citing unnamed sources familiar with Tuesday’s closed-door briefing, noted that the figure did not include many expenses associated with the build-up before the strike, suggesting the total cost for the opening week could be significantly higher.
The ongoing conflict between the United States and Israel against Iran is unsettling companies around the world, raising energy costs, tightening supplies of critical raw materials and casting doubt on the reliability of key shipping routes that are essential for transporting everything from food to auto parts.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon is expected to soon request up to $50 billion in additional military funding from the White House and the United States Congress, The Financial Times reported.
The additional budget request is likely to spark a heated debate on Capitol Hill and highlight growing concern among lawmakers about how the administration is handling the conflict, the FT reports.
Lisa Murkowski, a Republican member of the Senate Appropriations Committee responsible for approving the federal budget, warned that lawmakers would resist any White House expectation of an unlimited funding request, the FT reported.
Read also | Trump says “US won” Iran war, but senator reveals secret plan to send US troops
She emphasized Thursday that the Pentagon must “engage” with Congress.
Any bill to provide additional funding for the Iran war could face significant opposition in both the House and Senate.
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said “absolutely not” when asked by Sky News on Thursday if there was a price that could make him confront President Donald Trump and say an Iran war is no longer available, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, Democratic Senator and Air Force veteran Mark Kelly told MS Now that “The rounds we’re firing — the Patriot rounds, the Thaad rounds… these weapon systems, each round cost millions of dollars,” and compared it to Iran’s cheaper arsenal, noting that the Iranians are “shooting cheap drones of official intelligence weapons,” referring to the US intelligence Shah’s $30,000 each.
“The math doesn’t work for that,” Kelly added, as he reported FT.
Meanwhile, Tomahawk missiles, subsonic cruise missiles with a 1,000-pound warhead, are manufactured by U.S. defense contractor RTX for $3.6 million each.
Over the past five years, the U.S. military has bought only 322 missiles, including 57 allocated for fiscal year 2026 at a cost of $206.6 million, meaning it can only replenish a small fraction of the missiles likely to be expended in recent operations.
The US also deployed at least 124 Tomahawks in 2024 and 2025 in previous attacks against Houthi militants in Yemen and Iran.
Iranian Shahed
Developed in Iran and costing only about $20,000, the Shahed has become a prominent weapon in modern conflicts, with Tehran’s ally Russia deploying drones extensively during its long-running invasion of Ukraine.
Read also | How many Shahed drones does Iran have and why are they key? Explained
In recent days, the drones have hit US military bases, oil facilities and civilian structures following US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran that began on Saturday and included cruise missiles, drones and precision-guided bombs.
FILE PHOTO: An exhibition visitor takes a photo of parts of Iran’s Shahed-131/136 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which was launched into Ukrainian territory amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, on June 27, 2025, in Kyiv, Ukraine. REUTERS/Alina Smutko/File Photo(REUTERS)
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), an independent Washington think tank, estimated that the first 100 hours of Operation Epic Fury cost $3.7 billion, an average of over $891 million per day, AFP reported.
CSIS noted that most of that spending, $3.5 billion, was not previously budgeted for.
Read also | How the Iran war shattered the Gulf’s image as a luxurious safe haven
Meanwhile, the Iran War Cost Tracker website, which provides real-time estimates of the cost of the conflict, showed the total topping $17 billion as of 08:00 GMT on Thursday. The site said the United States currently spends about $1 billion a day on war.
However, he cautioned that the actual cost is likely to be higher because the numbers do not include long-term expenses such as health care for veterans.
(With input from agencies)
