U.S. Munitions Depleted by Iran Conflict, Senator Says

The United States has significantly drawn down its munitions stockpiles during the ongoing conflict with Iran, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee said on May 10, 2026. The committee has received detailed briefings from the Pentagon on the quantities of Tomahawks, ATACMS, SM-3, THAAD and Patriot rounds expended in the war against Iran.

The senator told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that the scale of munitions used was surprising. “We’ve expended a lot of munitions, and that means the American people are less safe,” the senator said. ” The senator questioned the defense secretary in a hearing earlier in May about the timeline for replenishing the stocks.

The response indicated that replenishment would take years. The senator added that the military remains well positioned for conflicts lasting days or weeks but would be in a worse posture for conflicts lasting months or years.

The senator stated that the need to replenish munitions does not justify the $1.5 trillion defense budget request for the coming fiscal year. The senator noted that when first elected to the Senate five-and-a-half years ago the defense budget was just over $700 billion and is now more than double that amount.

The senator argued the requested budget would spend money on items the U.S. military does not need. The senator described the overall request as nearly the amount that the rest of the world pays for its defense. The conflict with Iran continues and the extent of its effect on long-term U.S. military readiness will depend on the duration of the current engagement and the pace of munitions production.