U.S. and Israel Launch Air Operation Against Iranian Missile Bases

The United States and Israel launched a large-scale air operation against Iran on February 28, 2026, targeting ballistic missile bases in Khosrowshah and underground centers in Sahand, Urmia, Bandar Abbas, and Qom. Iran has responded by attacking U.S. and Israeli military targets throughout the Middle East.

The campaign has exposed severe strategic vulnerabilities in U.S. munitions stockpiles. Specifically, the U.S. faces a critical shortage of GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs, the only weapons capable of destroying deep underground infrastructure. Following their use in 2025, stockpiles have dwindled to between 6 and 15 units. A vendor lock with Boeing, the sole supplier of the guidance systems, means new deliveries are not expected until 2028.

Additional analysis indicates that neither the U.S. nor Israel possesses enough munitions to sustain a conflict lasting weeks or months. The U.S. military reportedly depleted a quarter of its THAAD missile inventory during 2025 operations against Iran, and while GBU-31 smart bombs remain plentiful, GBU-52 bunker buster inventories are significantly lower. Experts warn that these shortages reduce the capacity of the U.S. to deter adversaries or support allies in other regions, including Taiwan and Ukraine.