Pentagon’s Iran war balance sheet: Missile stocks hit critical levels

The US Department of Defense’s oversight body has presented its comprehensive balance sheet regarding the first months of the war with Iran to Congress. The report, prepared by the Pentagon’s Office of Inspector General, covers the period of the war, dubbed "Operation Epic Fury," up to June 30.

The report states that Iranian attacks caused widespread damage to US military infrastructure in the Middle East, while the high volume of US ammunition usage led to "strategic stock shortages." The assessment was prepared through a joint effort by the US Departments of Defense and State, along with USAID auditors.

According to the Pentagon’s calculations, the cost incurred in the first four months of the war was approximately 33.4 billion dollars. Of this, 22.3 billion dollars was directly attributed to ammunition used. The report noted that the reconstruction costs for military facilities damaged in Iranian attacks were not included in this total.

WIDESPREAD DAMAGE TO BASES

According to the report, Iranian attacks caused hundreds of buildings and structures at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan to be damaged or completely destroyed.

Following the attacks, it was reported that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) shifted its personnel, military assets, and depot arrangements from some bases to other locations. It was noted that due to the withdrawal of medical evacuation helicopters operating in Iraq and Kuwait, some casualty evacuations began to be carried out by land to local hospitals.

Heavy damage to the US Navy’s logistics and command center in Bahrain also affected supply lines. Consequently, it was stated that the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean began to be used more for maritime logistics, with supply times for ships in the region increasing to 14 to 18 days in some cases.

AIRCRAFT AND MISSILE STOCKS

The Pentagon report also contains new information regarding losses in the US air fleet. It was stated that by the end of June, four F-15 fighter jets had been destroyed, one F-35A had been damaged by enemy fire, and seven KC-135 refueling aircraft had been damaged or destroyed.

The report also indicated that up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles were lost. Previously, the US Congressional Research Service had estimated that at least 42 American aircraft had been destroyed or damaged during the initial period of the war.

The ammunition section was among the most notable parts of the report. The Pentagon reported that the amount of ammunition the US used against Iran "led to strategic stock shortages and revealed bottlenecks in the defense industry regarding ammunition replenishment."

It was stated that Pentagon officials are working to shorten production times, stockpile critical raw materials and parts, and accelerate the production of certain munitions. This statement in the report contradicts claims made by the Trump administration during the war that denied ammunition shortages.

The report did not disclose the current levels of missile stocks individually. However, according to calculations by the Washington-based CSIS, the US used approximately 65 percent of its pre-war Patriot interceptor missile stock during the conflict. The same assessment calculated at least a 38 percent reduction in THAAD interceptor stocks.

This situation is viewed as a capacity issue that could affect not only military planning in the Middle East but also US deployments in Europe and the Pacific. American military planners have long warned that shifting limited systems like Patriot and THAAD to the region could create vulnerabilities on other fronts.

The report revealed that Iranian attacks also caused serious damage to diplomatic facilities. It was stated that approximately 184 million dollars in physical damage occurred at US diplomatic facilities in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

It was reported that approximately 3,500 American diplomatic personnel were evacuated from the region following the start of the war, and that the US also evacuated approximately 9,000 of its citizens in the first months.