US expended $5.6 billion in munitions during first 48 hours of Iran assault: Report

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon expended $5.6 billion worth of weaponry during the initial 48 hours of its military operations against Iran, according to a report by the Washington Post. The staggering figure has intensified concerns among officials regarding the rapid depletion of the “scarce supply of America’s most advanced weaponry.”

This estimate, presented to Congress on Monday, has sparked fresh debate over the administration’s claims that the mission is not “quickly eroding the US military’s readiness”. To sustain the ongoing campaign, the White House is expected to request a supplemental defence budget this week, which could reach tens of billions of dollars.

In response to inquiries from the Washington Post regarding the status of national stockpiles, Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, maintained that the department has “everything it needs to execute any mission at the time and place of the President’s choosing and on any timeline.”

The Washington Post noted that US and Israeli forces will instead pivot toward utilizing “more plentiful stores of laser-guided bombs” as they advance further inland.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has issued a formidable warning to Tehran, asserting that any efforts to impede the transit of petroleum through the Strait of Hormuz will be met with a massive military retaliation. The President declared that the American response would be significantly more intense than any previous engagements if the vital shipping lane is compromised.

“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America twenty times harder than they have been hit thus far,” the US President said in a post on Truth Social.

Elaborating on the potential scope of such an operation, Trump indicated that the US military would focus on “easily destroyable” locations. He suggested that such strikes could be so devastating that they might hinder Iran’s ability to recover as a nation.”Death, Fire and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!” he added.

The US President framed this hardline stance as a move to protect international commerce, specifically highlighting how such stability would serve the interests of major global economies, including Beijing. “This is a gift from the United States of America to China, and all of those Nations that heavily use the Hormuz Strait. Hopefully, it is a gesture that will be greatly appreciated”, he added.

This warning comes amidst the broader, ongoing friction involving the US, Israel, and Iran. Despite the heightening rhetoric regarding the Strait, Trump suggested in a separate interview that the current military conflict has reached a decisive stage. (ANI)