Prof. Steven Starr: US has consumed 80 percent of its ammunition stocks
Missouri University faculty member Prof. Steven Starr, in his comprehensive presentation evaluating the conflict dynamics in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, stated that the US and Israel are facing a military and strategic defeat. Starr warned that ammunition stocks falling to critical levels, the loss of bases in the Persian Gulf, blockage of global energy routes and the increasing risk of nuclear escalation could lead to an irreparable economic depression around the world.
A faculty member and nuclear expert at the University of Missouri, who was a guest of Pascal Lottaz on the Neutrality Studies platform, Prof. Steven Starr made a striking presentation on the ongoing tension in the Middle East and the global effects of this process.
In his analysis titled "The United States and Israel have lost but will not accept defeat", Starr stressed that the Washington and Tel Aviv administrations have entered a strategic impasse and this situation is pregnant with a dangerous escalation.
“US army effectively expelled from the Persian Gulf”
Prof. Starr stated that the US military presence in the region has received a heavy blow during the current stage of the conflict. Stating that most of the US military bases in the Persian Gulf have either been destroyed or lost their operational ability, Starr noted that 13 to 19 main bases in the region have been abandoned or destroyed.
5th in Bahrain. Stating that the Fleet Central Command was under heavy attacks and less than 100 personnel remained here, Starr said that US troops in Syria had to retreat in a similar way.
Stating that the soldiers who left their bases were placed in hotels, but these facilities were also targeted, Starr said, "This situation is far from ideal for the US army. Without their base, they have to retreat to far points from the Gulf like Diego Garcia," he said.
Emphasizing that the US air Defence systems are insufficient in the region and not even safe havens are built for soldiers, Starr stated that IRAN has completely destroyed 30 percent of the US radar systems in the region.
“Two-year ammunition stock was spent in seven weeks”
Drawing attention to the critical contraction in the military inventory, Prof. Starr announced that the advanced ammunition in the hands of the USA is running out quickly.
Starr stated that in the last seven weeks, 80 percent of Patriot missiles in the US inventory and 60 percent of Terminal High Altitude Field Defense (THAAD) missiles have been used. Reminding that a single THAAD missile costs $15 million and a Patriot missile costs $3.9 million, Starr emphasized that spending these expensive systems to hit 50 thousand dollars in unmanned aerial vehicles is not cost-sustainable.
Starr shared the following data on the limitation in ammunition production capacity:
“The United States can only produce 96 THAAD missiles and 600 Patriot missiles per year. It will take years to rebuild the stocks lost in the last seven weeks. There are currently less than a thousand Patriots and about 100 THAAD missiles left in the inventory. If you don't have ammunition, your radar systems won't matter.”
Starr added that the shift of ammunition from regions such as South Korea to the Middle East also disturbs allies in other regions.
"Gulf countries and Israel may become unlivable due to thirst"
Touching on the human and infrastructural dimension of the conflict, Prof. Starr stated that the attacks of Israel and the United States against civilian targets were a strategic mistake. Stating that 900 schools, 30 universities and 50 hospitals were bombed in Iran in addition to the destruction in Lebanon and Gaza
Starr noted that the US hit thousands of fake targets. Stating that Chinese and Russian-made model missile batteries have a misleading feature thanks to their heating systems, Starr said that the USA thought it was destroying Iran's military power, but actually hit the models.
Starr emphasized that an attack on Iran's energy facilities will be a disaster for all Gulf countries in the region.
Reminding that 50 to 90 percent of the drinking water needs of countries such as Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are connected to seawater desalination facilities, Starr said, “These facilities cannot work without electricity. In this region where the temperature reaches 50 degrees, the cut off energy and water will make these countries uninhabitable and cause the death of millions of people.
Stating that Israel meets 80 percent of its water needs from these facilities, Starr said that non-targeted attacks lack a strategic mind.
Sharing his concerns about the ideological transformation in the US administration, Prof. Starr stated that the influence of the "Christian Zionist" ideology has increased in the White House and the Pentagon.
Drawing attention to the Crusader tattoos on the body of the Minister of War Pete Hegseth and the slogan "God wants it this way", Starr stated that these names carried out a liquidation process within the army and brought only people close to their religious views to key points.
Emphasizing that corruption in the US defense industry has refuted the country, Starr said that arms production has become a profit margin-oriented rather than a defense need.
Stating that despite the exorbitant cost of F-35 aircraft, they cannot fly even in stormy weather and only 30 percent are operational, Starr said, “China produces 290 ships for each ship that the US can build. While our air defense systems consist of upgrades from the 20th century, Russia's S-400 and S-500 systems are much superior," he said.
Sharing frightening data about the possibility of the conflict evolving into a nuclear dimension, Prof. Starr stated that a possible nuclear attack by Israel on Iranian cities could cause more than 10 million deaths.
Stating that a 500-kiloton attack on Tehran alone could kill 7 million people instantly, Starr said that Iran also has 60 percent enriched uranium enough to make 10 nuclear weapons.
Reminding that Iran's hypersonic missiles have the capacity to carry nuclear warheads, Starr said, “Three attacks on Tel Aviv could kill 400 thousand people. Nuclear war is a destruction beyond imagination, and no one can survive in firestorms.”
Starr emphasized that Iran protects its ammunition stocks in granite cities 450 meters below the ground, and that it is impossible to destroy these facilities with conventional weapons.
“Global depression has become an inevitable reality”
Stating that the economic consequences of the war are already being felt, Prof. Starr stated that the blockage in the Strait of Hormuz and the decrease in energy delivery have dragged the world into a great depression.
Reminding that 20 percent of the global oil supply, 20 percent of liquefied natural gas and a large part of the fertilizer production are provided by this region, Starr said, “70 percent of US farmers report that they will not be able to buy the fertilizer they need this year. The increase in food prices will lead to famine in poor countries," he said.
Noting that the helium production needed by the semiconductor industry has decreased by 30 percent, which will hit production in Taiwan, Starr said, "Even if the war ends today, a global depression is inevitable."
Referring to the developments on the Russia-Ukraine line, Starr stated that Russia was attacked with 7,300 unmanned aerial vehicles in a month, which could push Moscow to directly target production facilities in Europe.
As a result, stating that the US industrial war capacity lags behind Russia and China and that Washington is rapidly depleting its ammunition stocks to protect its hegemony, Prof. Steven Starr said, “The world is a beautiful place and we could use this knowledge to make the world better. I don't understand why people want to fight all the time," he concluded.
Pascal Lottaz also emphasized that Starr's analyses shed light on the desire for peace shared by the vast majority of the world's population, but fanatical ideologies threaten this future.