Middle East live: Pentagon watchdog says Iran war has led to munitions shortfall

Riyadh warns it will react ‘firmly’ to Houthi attacks

Saudi Arabia has warned it will react «firmly» to Yemen’s Houthis after a series of attacks carried out by the pro-Iranian rebels using ballistic missiles and drones wounded 13 civilians in the country’s south.

The Riyadh-led coalition confirmed there had been missile and drone attacks on Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif in the south, reporting 13 wounded.

Saudi Arabia responded with more than 50 strikes, as it had the day before, according to the Houthis.

The coalition said it would deal with the attacks «firmly to protect the sovereignty of the Kingdom» and would take «all necessary operational measures to deter this… hostile and extremist approach».

US faces ammunition shortfall after costly Iran war

The US Defense Department’s inspector general revealed Monday that the United States is facing a shortfall in ammunition as a result of its costly war in Iran.

In a first-of-its-kind mandatory report to Congress, the inspector said that between February 28 and June 30, Operation Epic Fury (OEF) had an estimated cost of $33.4 billion, with $22.3 billion of that spent on expended munitions alone.

The report noted «the munitions expenditure on OEF has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply.»

It also lists losses to the American fleet, including four F-15s destroyed, one F-35 damaged, seven KC-135 tanker aircraft damaged and up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones destroyed.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly brushed off concerns of depleted weapons stores during the six months of war in the Middle East, saying the US has «virtually unlimited» ammo just a couple weeks ago.

On Monday Trump posted to his Truth Social platform saying again the US is producing «more Exquisite and Elite Weapons than at any time in our History.»

Saudi Arabia issues all clear after alerts in six cities

The Saudi Arabian Civil Defence sent an all clear on Tuesday after issuing alerts for potential danger in six cities including Yanbu, the kingdom’s main Red Sea oil port, where millions of barrels a day are loaded.

Saudi Civil Defence said the danger had passed in Jeddah, Abha, Jazan, AlUla and Taif after the areas received emergency alerts amid an uptick in attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis.

The Houthis have stepped up attacks on Saudi cities and energy infrastructure while advancing along Yemen’s Red Sea coast towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping route.

Houthi attacks wound 13 civilians in southern Saudi Arabia

A series of attacks carried out by Yemen’s Houthis using ballistic missiles and drones wounded 13 civilians in southern Saudi Arabia, the Riyadh-led military coalition against the pro-Iranian rebels said Tuesday.

«On Monday, September 14, 2026, the Militia launched attacks on civilian objects in the cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Taif with a number of ballistic missiles and drones, resulting in minor to moderate injuries to 13 civilians and damage to seven houses and two vehicles,» a coalition spokesman wrote on X.

Welcome to the France 24 liveblog covering events in the Middle East. You can catch up on yesterday’s developments here.