A new Pentagon watchdog report has revealed the scale of losses suffered by the United States during its continuing conflict with Iran, including damaged military bases, destroyed or damaged aircraft, depleted weapons stockpiles and growing logistical difficulties across the Middle East.
The report from the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General provides the most comprehensive official assessment so far of the impact of Operation Epic Fury, the military campaign launched against Iran on February 28, 2026.
According to the watchdog, Iranian attacks damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and other structures at U.S. military installations in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.
The attacks also affected American diplomatic facilities. The State Department estimated that strikes on U.S. diplomatic properties in four countries caused about $184 million in physical damage.
The report also documented significant losses involving U.S. aircraft. Dozens of aircraft were damaged or destroyed during the fighting, including fighter jets, aerial refuelling aircraft, helicopters and MQ-9 Reaper drones.
Among the aircraft identified were four F-15E fighter jets, while an F-35A was damaged by enemy fire over Iran. Earlier assessments had already indicated substantial losses involving MQ-9 Reaper drones and KC-135 aerial refuelling aircraft. Because the conflict remains ongoing and some information is classified, the final number of aircraft lost or damaged could be higher.
The human cost has also continued to rise. The inspector general’s report recorded 18 U.S. military deaths and said 417 service members were wounded between the beginning of Operation Epic Fury and June 30. More recent Pentagon figures have since placed the number of wounded at nearly 800 as fighting continued beyond the period covered by the watchdog’s assessment.
One of the most significant findings concerns America’s supply of advanced weapons.
The Pentagon watchdog estimated that Operation Epic Fury cost about $33.4 billion through June 30, with approximately $22.3 billion spent on munitions alone.
The enormous consumption of missiles and other weapons has resulted in what the report described as strategic inventory shortfalls and exposed weaknesses in America’s ability to rapidly manufacture replacements.
The weapons under pressure include Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, missile interceptors, Tomahawk cruise missiles and other advanced missile systems.
A separate assessment released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that the direct military cost of the Iran conflict had risen to about $38 billion by August 1. If operations continue at recent levels, the CBO estimated additional costs of roughly $2 billion to $3 billion every month.
The CBO also raised concerns about the rate at which the United States is consuming missile-defence interceptors. Its assessment indicated that between half and two-thirds of the U.S. inventory of certain interceptors has been used since June 2025, including expenditures connected to the Iran conflict.
Rebuilding some of those stockpiles could take years even if manufacturers increase production, creating concerns about how quickly the U.S. military could replace the weapons while maintaining sufficient reserves for other potential conflicts.
Logistics have emerged as another major challenge.
Damage to American facilities in the Gulf forced U.S. Central Command to adjust supply routes. The remote island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean became an important logistics hub, but using the more distant facility stretched some resupply cycles to between 14 and 18 days.
The changes contributed to intermittent supply problems and complicated operations for American forces deployed in the region.
More than 50,000 American service members have been deployed across the U.S. Central Command area in support of the operation.
Despite the watchdog’s findings about weapons inventories, the Pentagon has pushed back against suggestions that the U.S. military lacks the ammunition required to continue fighting.
President Donald Trump has similarly maintained that American defence manufacturers are increasing weapons production and that new equipment is being delivered to U.S. forces.
The inspector general’s report covers mainly the period through June 30, meaning it does not provide a complete account of losses sustained during subsequent months of the conflict.
The latest figures nevertheless show that the confrontation with Iran has imposed substantial financial, military and logistical costs on the United States while placing significant pressure on some of its most sophisticated weapons inventories.
