Iran war effort hampered by munitions shortfalls, production ‘bottlenecks,’ Pentagon watchdog finds

By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2026-09-15 12:46:52 | Updated at 2026-09-15 16:46:11 4 hours ago

The US war with Iran has led to a shortage of key munitions, which has in turn exposed “bottlenecks” in the defense industry, the War Department’s Office of Inspector General confirmed in a report released Monday.

The 44-page document specified that “production of solid rocket motors, the availaibility of high-grade explosives and propellants and the recruitment of skilled manufacturing labor” are the biggest logistical issues plaguing Operation Epic Fury, launched by the US against Tehran Feb. 28.

Iranian commuters pass a huge anti-US billboard reading in Persian, “The devil army will be drowned in the Persian Gulf”, erected on Enghelab Square in Tehran on Monday, September 14, 2026. Iran’s nuclear chief was blocked from attending an annual conference at the headquarters of the UN’s nuclear agency in Vienna due to opposition from the United States, according to Iranian state television. AFP via Getty Images

The Trump administration, led by the president and War Secretary Pete Hegseth, has routinely denied claims that the military is running low on weapons. On Monday, President Trump insisted on Truth Social: “I’ve just received a Report that the United States is producing more Exquisite and Elite Weapons than at any time in our History.

“They are being delivered on a daily basis to our Forces in the Middle East, and beyond,” Trump added. “Our Defense Company Factories are moving 24/7, while at the same time building, on average, 4 to 5 largescale brand new Plants, each! A primary focus of this production has been Patriots, THAAD Systems, Tomahawks, and other Standard Missile Systems, of which we already have large numbers in stock.”

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft approaches the boom of a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. The KC-135 refuels F-16s for regional security. United States Air Forces Central

A screengrab of footage from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces shows a wave of strikes against Iranian military targets on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. The strikes mark the latest escalation in weeks of tit-for-tat attacks across the Gulf region. CENTCOM / SWNS

Monday’s congressional mandated report also estimated the cost of the first four months of the war to be $33.4 billion, not including money spent on infrastructure repairs, the first official accounting of the war’s price tag through June 30.

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