The United States has expended virtually its entire stockpile of long-range precision missiles during its ongoing war with Iran, raising fresh concerns about the sustainability of the American military campaign and the state of its munitions reserves.
People familiar with the data told Reuters that the U.S. Army has drawn down much of its supply of highly accurate long-range weapons over the course of the conflict, leaving its arsenal significantly diminished.
The reported shortfall underscores the intensity of a campaign that has stretched across multiple weeks and dozens of strike operations. It also highlights a broader challenge for the U.S. defense industrial base, which has struggled to replenish advanced munitions at the pace of modern high-tempo warfare.
Long-range precision missiles form a cornerstone of American strike doctrine, prized for their ability to hit fortified or distant targets while keeping personnel and aircraft out of harm’s way. Their rapid depletion suggests the campaign against Iranian targets has been far more resource-intensive than earlier operations.
The disclosure follows a series of escalatory exchanges between Washington and Tehran, including sustained American air operations and Iranian retaliatory strikes on U.S. positions in the region. Earlier in the conflict, U.S. officials had cited constraints on available munitions as a factor in pausing certain strike operations.
The conflict has also seen Iran target U.S. and allied facilities, including an attack on a joint US-UK base in the Indian Ocean, further intensifying the standoff.
Depleted stockpiles carry strategic implications beyond the immediate theater. Analysts have long warned that prolonged high-intensity conflicts can outstrip production capacity, leaving militaries with fewer options for deterrence elsewhere and greater reliance on allied resupply.
The reported drawdown may pressure U.S. manufacturers to accelerate output, though such munitions typically require months to produce due to their complex components and precision guidance systems.
Neither the extent of remaining reserves nor the precise number of missiles fired has been publicly confirmed. The Pentagon has not detailed its current inventory, and specific figures remain closely guarded.
As the conflict continues, questions over replenishment and the durability of American firepower are likely to shape both the trajectory of the war and broader debates over military readiness in the months ahead.