More than five months into the military conflict between the United States and Iran, the U.S. has used nearly all of its global stockpile of long-range precision missiles, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter who spoke to CBS News.
The sources said the United States has expended virtually all of its Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles. The report follows earlier CBS News reporting in July that the U.S. was gradually running low on defensive interceptors and long-range missiles as the war with Iran depleted precision-guided munitions at an unsustainable rate.
The conflict began Feb. 28 when the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes against Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during Operation Epic Fury. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the operation was intended to destroy Iran's missile production capabilities and ensure the country "would never have nuclear weapons."
According to CBS News, the most immediate concern is the rapid depletion of Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors, which have been used faster than the defense industry can replace them, potentially leaving the United States with diminished missile defense capabilities if the conflict continues.
A July report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, cited by CBS News, estimated the United States had about 2,330 Patriot interceptors before the war. By the end of July, that inventory had fallen to between 759 and 827. The report also estimated the U.S. had 452 THAAD interceptors before the conflict, with the inventory dropping to between 234 and 278 by the end of July after nearly half had been expended.
In May, CSIS estimated it could take until at least mid-2029 for the United States to rebuild its prewar inventories of both Patriot and THAAD interceptors.
Despite the report, Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell downplayed concerns in a statement to CBS News, saying the United States maintains the world's most powerful military and has "everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President's choosing."
"We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests," Parnell said.
Hegseth similarly downplayed concerns during a June interview, accusing the media of manufacturing the story and saying the military's stockpiles "are great and they are only getting stronger."
Since the conflict began in February, nearly 20 U.S. service members have been killed and more than 400 have been wounded as of July, according to Department of Defense data. CSIS estimates the war had cost between $34 billion and $42 billion as of June 23, accounting for personnel, deployments, munitions, equipment losses and damage, fuel, security and other expenses. The think tank noted the total cost could ultimately be higher.
