Pentagon Sounds Alarm: Critical Shortage of Tomahawk Missiles Raises National Security Concerns

High-ranking officials at the Pentagon are increasingly worried about the rapid depletion of the United States’ Tomahawk missile reserves, just a month into the conflict with Iran.

To date, the U.S. military has fired 850 Tomahawk missiles. These missiles, which cost between $2 million and $3.6 million each depending on their type, are highly valued for their ability to strike targets up to 1,000 miles away, eliminating the need to put pilots in harm’s way.

Inside the Pentagon, there is growing unease over the dwindling missile stockpiles, primarily due to the challenges associated with producing these sophisticated cruise missiles.

As one official confided to the Washington Post, the current inventory levels are ‘alarmingly low.’

Another source highlighted that the situation is nearing ‘Winchester’ status, a military term used to indicate a complete depletion of ammunition.

Though the total Pentagon’s stockpile of the munitions is a closely guarded secret, only a few hundred Tomahawks are made each year. Only 57 were purchased last year, according to the defense budget.

Now, officials are urgently discussing whether Tomahawk missiles in other theaters, like the Indo-Pacific, may need to be shipped to the Middle East as the US continues its offensive against the Islamic Republic. 

Tomahawk cruise missiles have been a staple of American military might since they were first used in the Gulf War by George H W Bush. 

One Pentagon official told the Washington Post that US Tomahawk cruise missile stockpiles are ‘alarmingly low’ 

Tomahawks can be launched by US surface vessels or submarines

But the widespread usage of the bespoke military tech in the US war in Iran has rattled some Pentagon officials who are now sounding the alarm about the depleted Tomahawk stockpiles.

The Pentagon hit back against the unnamed officials’ concern in a statement to the Daily Mail. 

‘The Department of War has everything it needs to execute any mission at the time and place of the President’s choosing and on any timeline,’ Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said. 

Officials are also discussing how to ramp up production of the cruise missiles to meet heightened demand.  

Military planners are tracking the burn rate of the Tomahawks and calculating how many the US may need for not only its war against Iran, but also how many may be needed for other potential conflicts, sources told the Post. 

Tomahawks allow the US military to communicate with the missile via satellite, striking pre-programmed targets or locating new targets in real-time using GPS.

They can also hang above the battlefield, with a camera on board which can relay a live feed of other strikes to commanders.

Many were fired in the opening days of Operation Epic Fury, including one which struck an elementary school, leaving 165 people dead, in the Iranian city of Minab.

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D Black (DDG 119) fires a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) in support of Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026 in the Mediterranean Sea

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that the US has taken control of Iranian airspace, meaning that aircraft can fly in place of the sophisticated missiles and drop gravity bombs.

But this still carries risk. A US F-35 stealth fighter was struck over enemy airspace last week and was forced to make an emergency landing at a US base in the Middle East.

The Pentagon has also fired more than 1,000 air-defense interceptor missiles in response to Iranian retaliatory strikes across the region, including from the Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems.

These are some of the most advance in the world and the US also has a limited stockpile of these munitions, which cost far more than the cheaper missiles and drones fired by the Islamic regime. 

The depleting inventory of missiles could cause headaches for the administration in a prolonged campaign with Iran as it tries to force open the Strait of Hormuz amid rising oil and gas prices.  

Oil prices climbed higher on Friday after two Chinese vessels were blocked from transiting the Strait, indicating that Iran is dug-in for the fight.

International benchmark Brent crude futures rose 2.8 percent to $111 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate futures pushed higher by 2.7 percent to $97. 

Donald Trump appears to understand the importance of building out the US’ arsenal of high-end weapons. 

Videos from within Iran show the devastating impact of Tomahawks 

Just a week into the war, the President invited executives from the largest US defense manufacturers to the White House for a meeting. 

Trump confirmed that the companies agreed to ‘quadruple’ production of the ‘exquisite-class’ weaponry, including hypersonic missiles and others with high-precision, long-range capabilities, like the Tomahawk cruise missile. 

RTX, a prime US defense contractor whose executives attended the White House meeting, is the sole manufacturer of the weapons. They are made at a plant in Tucson, Arizona, and are used by some US allies, like the UK and Australia. 

Tomahawks have been used to strike targets deep within Iran’s borders without putting US soldiers at risk, while Iran has been forced to use much of its ballistic missile inventory to strike back. 

Though just how many ballistic missiles Iran has to counterattack remains a mystery, multiple sources told Reuters on Friday. 

They told the outlet that the US can only determine with certainty that it has destroyed one-third of the Islamic Republic’s arsenal. 

The condition of another third of Iran’s ballistic missiles is more hazy, but officials believe they are likely buried under rubble, damaged or destroyed.