US has used 'virtually all' long-range precision missiles in Iran war, sources say

Depleted arsenals

The US Army has used "virtually all" of its surface-to-surface ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) in the five-month war with Iran, two of the three sources briefed on US military data told Reuters. The degree of depletion had not been previously reported. These weapons, costing over $1 million each, allow precise strikes from safe distances. ATACMS also played a key role in Ukraine, enabling attacks inside Russia. The newer PrSM is meant to replace the shorter-range ATACMS.

Beyond land-based missiles, the Pentagon has consumed about 65% of its Patriot interceptors, THAAD anti-ballistic interceptor stocks are at least 38% below their level at the start of the war, and the US has used somewhat less than half of its global Tomahawk cruise missile stock, according to a July 31 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The figures align with the Reuters sources.

A war longer than expected

President Donald Trump launched the war jointly with Israel on February 28, predicting a short conflict of about three weeks. Five months later, the campaign has cost $37.5 billion according to the Pentagon, and over $130 billion by independent estimates. US casualties stand at 18 soldiers, most killed in Iranian attacks on regional bases.

The prolonged operations have drained munitions far faster than production can replace them. Lockheed Martin manufactures the ATACMS and PrSM, but lead times for advanced missiles stretch to over four years for some types, CSIS noted.

Strategic concerns

The dwindling stocks raise alarms about US readiness for other potential conflicts, particularly with Russia or China. Analysts say these precision weapons would be critical in any Pacific confrontation. Without them, the military may have to rely more on manned bombing missions, which carry greater risk to pilots.

Central Command has so far replenished its Middle East stocks by drawing on reserves stored elsewhere in the world, a fourth source said. But that practice merely shifts the shortage to other regions, leaving the US vulnerable if a new front opens, for instance in Asia.

White House response

Trump dismissed the stockpile concerns. In a statement issued by the White House, he said the US had "far more munitions than anyone in the world" and "far more than we need."

Our defense companies are, at this moment, making more munitions than they have ever made before, in addition to expanding their plants and equipment at record levels.

Military commanders had warned the president for weeks that defensive stocks, Patriot interceptors among them, were falling. Last week several outlets reported that he decided against launching another large offensive on Iran partly because of those warnings, though a US official attributed the decision to pressure from Gulf states: last-minute appeals from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and others who wanted to give Tehran "one last chance." He told reporters he wanted to give Iran "every last chance before the decapitation."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked Congress for a 40% increase in the next fiscal year's military budget, to $1.5 trillion, to "terminate this war," replenish munitions, and "revitalize our industrial base."

Structural roots

The CSIS analysis traced the crisis to six structural factors, including the post-Cold War downsizing of munitions stockpiles and an industrial base sized for limited operations, not months-long high-intensity warfare. Production of sophisticated missiles like the SM-3 IIA takes over four years, THAAD interceptors about three years, and Tomahawk, PrSM, and JASSM missiles similarly long, leaving little surge capacity.