Record / E-2026-0015
CSIS estimates US expended over half its prewar inventory of four of seven critical munitions in the Iran war
In an analysis published April 21, 2026 and updated April 24, Center for Strategic and International Studies analysts Mark Cancian and Chris Park estimated that in the first phase of the 2026 Iran war the United States expended more than 1,000 Tomahawk missiles and about 1,100 JASSM-ER missiles, and that for four of the seven critical munitions examined the United States may have expended more than half of its prewar inventory. On August 4, 2026, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with a Pentagon inventory report, that nearly 80 percent of THAAD interceptors and roughly 50 percent of Patriot interceptors had been expended. The Department of Defense has released no official stockpile figures.
Context
This entry is marked verified_modified because the popular claim that the United States spent over half its missiles is not precise: the arsenal is not a single countable stock, and the supported statement is the CSIS estimate for four of seven examined munition types plus the reported interceptor figures. All depletion percentages are estimates by an outside think tank or unnamed sources familiar with inventory reports; official inventory figures are classified, and the estimates conflict with each other across dates and denominators. The expenditure defended Israel, Gulf bases, and United States forces as well as offensive operations. The 80 percent THAAD figure is single-source reporting and is attributed as such.
Response on the record
Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said the United States military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President's choosing. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said the military has more than enough munitions, ammo, and stockpiles to serve all of President Trump's strategic goals. Both statements were reported by CNN on August 4, 2026.
Sources
The document identifier is the citation. The URL is a resolution mechanism, and the archived copy is what the citation resolves to when the live link dies.
-
Last Rounds? Status of Key Munitions at the Iran War Ceasefire, CSIS, Cancian and Park
CSIS analysis, published April 21, 2026, updated April 24, 2026
-
US stockpile of Patriot interceptors diminished by some 65 percent, think tank estimates, ABC News
ABC News story id 135198306, July 30, 2026
-
Nearly 80 percent of interceptors for a key missile defense system depleted, sources say, CNN
CNN, Cohen, Sciutto, and Britzky, August 4, 2026
-
US used 14 percent of its THAAD stockpile against Iran, a report says, Stars and Stripes
Stars and Stripes, July 23, 2025, reporting JINSA analysis by Ari Cicurel