The United States has already consumed “years” worth of critical munitions since the start of the war with Iran, the Financial Times reported, citing three people familiar with the matter. According to the FT, the Pentagon is expected to send in the coming days to the White House and Congress a formal request for up to US$50 billion in additional spending for the Armed Forces. The request is expected to open a new dispute on Capitol Hill, at a time when lawmakers from both parties express discomfort with how the war has been conducted and with the prospect of further disbursements.
One of the people interviewed by the newspaper said that Tomahawk consumption has been “massive” and that the Navy will feel this spending “for years.” Each of these subsonic cruise missiles, equipped with a 1,000-pound warhead, costs US$3.6 million and is manufactured by RTX.
The newspaper reports that the United States bought only 322 Tomahawks in the last five years, including 57 reserved for fiscal year 2026, at a cost of US$206.6 million. According to the piece, this volume replenishes only a fraction of what was probably used in recent days. The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that the U.S. fired 168 Tomahawks in the first 100 hours of the war, which began on February 28.
In addition to Tomahawks, the conflict has also consumed Patriot and THAAD interceptors, used in defense against Iranian missiles and drones targeting American assets and allies in the Middle East. According to the newspaper, American authorities had already expressed concern in recent years about the possibility that the use of these munitions could outstrip production capacity, especially in scenarios of confrontation with adversaries such as Russia or China.
This week, Pentagon officials told senators that the war cost more than US$11 billion in just the first six days of bombardment, with the bulk of the expense concentrated in munitions. Democratic Senator Mark Kelly told MS Now that “each shot costs millions of dollars,” citing Patriot and THAAD systems, while Iran uses Shahed drones which, according to U.S. intelligence officials, can be produced rapidly for about US$30,000 per unit.
The cost of the war adds to growing political pressure on Trump. The conflict disrupted a key maritime corridor for global trade, pushed oil above US$100 a barrel, and raised gasoline prices in the United States in an election year. The weariness of the war grows among American voters, who question whether the president is leading the country into another prolonged conflict in the Middle East.
Despite concerns, the government maintains the line that there is no ammunition shortage. Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the U.S. offensive and defensive stocks allow sustaining the campaign for as long as necessary. On Thursday, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the country has ammunition, weapons, and stocks “more than sufficient” to achieve the operation’s objectives and beyond.
