The US military has fired over 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles in four weeks of war with Iran, burning through the precision weapons at a rate that has alarmed some Pentagon officials and prompted internal discussions about how to make more available, the Washington Post has reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
TRT World could not immediately verify the report.
Only a few hundred cruise missiles are manufactured each year, and while the Pentagon does not publicly disclose its figures, one official told the news outlet that the number of Tomahawks left in the Middle East is "alarmingly low".
One of those Tomahawks fired by US military on February 28 reportedly hit a girls school, killing over 175 innocents, mostly young children, and staff.
Despite an ongoing US probe, details remain undisclosed.
No ordinary missiles
Tomahawks, that can travel more than 1,600 kilometres, aren't ordinary ballistic missiles.
According to military documents reviewed by the Post, these Raytheon-built weapons can cost up to $3.6 million and take two years to construct.
At 20 feet and 3,500 pounds, they require launch from naval destroyers.
With only 57 Tomahawks budgeted last year, the current conflict is rapidly depleting stockpiles accumulated over several years, the report added.
The fire rate "has alarmed some officials and prompted internal discussions about how to make more available," according to the Post.
These concerns come as Trump considers deploying 10,000 more ground troops to Iran.
"The US military has more than enough munitions, ammo, and weapons stockpiles to achieve the goals of Operation Epic Fury laid out by President Trump — and beyond," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to Reuters news agency.
"Nevertheless, President Trump has always been intensely focused on (strengthening) our Armed Forces and he will continue to call on defense contractors to more speedily build American-made weapons, which are the best in the world," Leavitt's statement said.
The US Department of Defense did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.
The US war expenditure regarding Iran is estimated at $30–40 billion for the first month.
The initial period proved rather costly.
The Pentagon informed Congress that the initial six days cost over $11.3 billion, primarily on munitions such as missiles and interceptors.
Independent analyses estimate costs at roughly $12.7 billion by day six, encompassing combat losses and operations.
Israel’s war costs are separate, roughly $300 million per day, according to reports.
On Friday, top US diplomat, Marco Rubio, stated that weapons earmarked for Ukraine's defence against Russia could be diverted to the fight against Iran.
Despite being subjected to frequent air strikes from two of the world’s most sophisticated militaries, Iran has demonstrated its capacity to threaten its Gulf Arab neighbours and Israel with missiles and drones. It also continues to exert considerable influence on the global economy, largely through intimidation.
