US watchdog reports weapons shortages due to Iran war

Washington (ANTARA) - A US government watchdog agency on Monday (14/9) released its first report on the impact of the Iran war, detailing shortages of advanced weaponry and damage to American aircraft, military bases and diplomatic facilities in the Middle East, according to several US media outlets.

The Pentagon inspector general’s report, covering the period from 1 April to 30 June, presents the most complete official accounting to date of the conflict’s cost in American lives, taxpayer money and physical damage.

The war with Iran has resulted in shortages of strategic stockpiles and exposed obstacles in the industrial base for replenishing advanced weaponry ammunition, the report said.

The report stated that Iranian strikes had damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and other structures at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan. Dozens of US aircraft and drones were also damaged or destroyed.

US War Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress in late July that the Iran war had at that point cost 37.5 billion US dollars (1 US dollar = Rp17,693).

The report also presented previously undisclosed figures on damage to US diplomatic facilities.

US diplomatic posts in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE suffered the worst physical damage, with estimated losses reaching 184 million US dollars, the report stated.

Evacuation operations, carried out through private and commercial flights as well as land and sea transport, cost more than 11 million US dollars by the end of June, the report added.