MOSCOW, March 5. /TASS/. Iran's use of low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) places the United States and its allies in a position of economic disadvantage and depletes stocks of expensive missiles, The New York Times (NYT) reported.

Advisers to US President Donald Trump have urged him to declare victory over Iran as soon as possible, CNN reported, citing sources.

TASS has compiled key information on the latest developments in the Middle East.

Unpreparedness for conflict

A recent drafting of additional military specialists points to the fact that the US administration was "not fully prepared for the consequences" of the conflict, according to the Politico daily’s report.

The United States and its allies did not expect serious resistance from Iran, and the military operation against the Islamic Republic was planned by inexperienced strategists, Military-Political Analysis Bureau head Alexander Mikhailov told TASS.

In Mikhailov’s opinion, the ongoing fighting points to a lack of organized interaction between the United States and its allies, and in the event of a clash with a more professional army, the coalition would be defeated.

Escalation’s timeframe

The US-Israeli joint military operation against Iran has been set to last for several weeks and its objective is to completely destroy the military potential of the Islamic Republic, the Financial Times (FT) daily reported citing unnamed former and active Israeli officials.

Meanwhile, the Politico daily reported citing data from a Pentagon document that the United States expects to conclude a military operation against Iran in no less than 100 days.

According to the daily, "US Central Command, meanwhile, is asking the Pentagon to send more military intelligence officers to its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, to support operations against Iran for at least 100 days but likely through September."

US President Trump is firm in his readiness to fight forever, but some of his advisers fear that Washington will be dragged into a prolonged war, CNN reported, citing sources. It noted that after five days of fighting, many in Trump's entourage already believe it is necessary to withdraw from the conflict.

Some advisers and close allies of the US president are trying to convince him to cut short the duration of military operations and declare victory as soon as possible, the major US-based TV news broadcaster added.

US plans

Plans for a US military operation in Iran currently do not provide for the use of ground forces in the Islamic Republic, but such a possibility cannot be ruled out, White House Spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said at a news briefing.

The US Department of War administration believes that other states could join the US-Israeli operation against Iran.

At the same time, Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby decided to refrain from commenting on whether NATO would be able to enact Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization regarding the Iranian developments.

Weapons’ stockpiles

Present-day stockpiles intended for the operation of the US THAAD missile defense systems, which are actively used in the conflict with Iran, may run out within approximately two weeks, stated Senior Fellow with the Reimagining US Grand Strategy Program at the Stimson Center Kelly A. Grieco, who is also a former lecturer at the US Air Force Command and General Staff College.

According to her, the current conflict is already turning into a "war of depletion."

She continued citing her personal data that the United States currently faces a particularly acute shortage of missiles intended for the operation of THAAD missile defense systems, which are used to intercept the most powerful Iranian ballistic missiles.

According to the NYT, Iran is depleting US and allied missile stocks by launching cheap unmanned aerial vehicles.

The US-based daily reports that in view of this situation fears keep arising that Washington and its allies may run out of interceptor missiles necessary to protect the region. Experts cited by the daily also drew parallels with the situation in Ukraine, where the allies had not been able to provide enough capabilities regarding air defense systems.

The United States can "easily" expend a "whole year’s worth" of its critical defensive munitions in just one or two days of military operations in case Tehran was "able to launch multiple large salvos of missile and drone attacks," Stacie Pettyjohn, director of the defense program at the Center for a New American Security think-tank, said in an interview with the Financial Times daily.

According to the newspaper, Gulf countries are using expensive Patriot missiles to shoot down Iranian drones, but their stockpiles are running low. The cost of each Ukrainian interceptor is several thousand dollars, while a Patriot missile costs over $13.5 million.

According to a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) cited by The New York Times, the United States has recently purchased interceptor munitions in small quantities - hundreds rather than thousands.

US most up-to-date LUCAS unmanned aerial vehicle, which is used by the American military in combat operations against Iran, is purely an imitation of a cargo cult and it possesses no technical qualities regarding the nature and origin of its primary objectives, Dmitry Kuzyakin, an unmanned aircraft expert and chief designer of the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions, said in an interview with TASS.