03:21 14-05-2026

Pentagon Limited Iran Bunker Bombs for Asia War Plans

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NYT reports the Pentagon limited bunker-busting munitions in Iran strikes to preserve reserves for possible conflicts with China and North Korea. Read more.

The Pentagon limited its use of bunker-busting munitions during strikes on Iran in order to preserve part of the arsenal for potential armed conflicts with China and North Korea, The New York Times reported, citing U.S. officials.

According to the newspaper, the weapons had to be used sparingly because Washington needed to keep a reserve for U.S. operational plans in the event of possible wars in Asia involving North Korea and China.

The shortage of bunker-busting munitions, NYT said, shaped the tactics chosen by the U.S. military. Rather than trying to destroy Tehran’s underground facilities completely, American forces focused on sealing off their entrances.

In March, The New York Times had already reported a severe drawdown of U.S. weapons during the conflict with Iran. The United States had nearly depleted its stocks of low-observable cruise missiles, fired a decade’s worth of Tomahawk missiles, and used up a volume of Patriot interceptor missiles equivalent to two years of production.

The United States and Israel began striking targets inside Iran on February 28. More than 3,000 people were killed in the aggression. On April 8, Washington and Tehran announced a ceasefire. Later talks in Islamabad produced no results. No renewed fighting was reported afterward, but the United States began a blockade of Iranian ports.