Pentagon officials alarmed by pace of Tomahawk missile use in Iran war

WASHINGTON: The United States has fired more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles during four weeks of conflict with Iran, depleting precision weapons at a pace that has raised concerns among some Pentagon officials, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The report said the heavy use of long-range missiles had sparked internal discussions within the Defense Department about the availability of such munitions and the need to accelerate production.

The surge in missile use comes amid an intensifying US campaign against Iran under what the White House has called “Operation Epic Fury,” aimed at degrading Tehran’s military capabilities.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the United States had sufficient weapons stockpiles to meet its objectives.

“The US military has more than enough munitions, ammo, and weapons stockpiles to achieve the goals of Operation Epic Fury laid out by President Donald Trump — and beyond,” she said in a statement to Reuters.

Leavitt added that Trump remained focused on strengthening the US military and would continue to push defence contractors to increase the pace of weapons production.

The US Department of Defense did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Tomahawk missiles, which are long-range, precision-guided weapons launched from ships and submarines, have been a key component of US strike capabilities in recent conflicts. Analysts say sustained high usage rates in a prolonged conflict could test supply chains and industrial capacity.

The conflict with Iran has heightened tensions across the Middle East, with concerns growing over the potential for a wider regional escalation and its impact on global energy supplies and security.