US Depletes Third of Tomahawk Arsenal in Iran War; Wargames Warn of Rapid Exhaustion in China Conflict
As of July 17, 2026, the United States has fired over 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iran, the largest single expenditure of the weapon in history. With the ceasefire declared dead on July 8, strikes have resumed, further depleting an estimated remaining stockpile of 2,000 to 3,000 missiles. The article highlights a critical vulnerability: the Pentagon's own wargames indicate that a conflict with China would exhaust the Tomahawk inventory in days, far faster than the current Iran campaign. The production line, building only about 90 missiles per year, cannot keep pace. The analysis, drawing on CSIS and Stimson Center estimates, underscores the strategic risk of relying on a finite, slow-to-replenish precision-strike arsenal for major power competition.
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