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Akbar Novruz

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The United States has used up “years” worth of ammunition since the start of the conflict with Iran, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of its military operations, AzerNEWS reports via the Financial Times.

Citing three people familiar with the matter, the publication reported that some of the fastest-depleting weapons include long-range Tomahawk cruise missile, widely used in precision strike operations.

According to one source, the missiles are being consumed at a rapid pace, and the United States Navy could feel the consequences of the current expenditures for years.

The heavy use of ammunition has intensified concerns in Washington about both the growing financial cost of the war and the ability of the US defense industry to replenish depleted stockpiles.

Pentagon officials told senators earlier this week that the first six days of strikes cost at least $11 billion, with a large portion of the spending going toward munitions.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the United States fired 168 Tomahawk missiles within the first 100 hours of the war. Over the past five years, the US military has procured 322 Tomahawk missiles, highlighting the scale of current consumption.

“That’s a lot, it will take years to replace it,” one congressman said.

In response to the rapidly rising costs, the Pentagon is expected in the coming days to submit a request for an additional $50 billion in military funding to the United States Congress and the White House.

The request is likely to spark heated debate in Congress. Some lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties have already expressed concerns over further funding for the conflict. Several Democrats argue that the war initiated by President Donald Trump did not receive congressional authorization and therefore lacks legal approval.

The United States and Israel have been conducting airstrikes against targets in Iran since February 28. In response, Tehran has launched missile and drone attacks against Israeli territory and US military facilities across the region, further escalating tensions in the Middle East.