Iranian Strikes Caused Widespread Damage to US Bases Across Middle East: Report
WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES — WEB DESK: Iranian missile and drone attacks caused widespread damage to American military positions across the Middle East, damaging or destroying buildings, vehicles and aircraft, according to newly obtained photographs and a US Defense Department watchdog assessment.
The photographs, obtained by CBS News from active-duty US service members, provide a new visual record of damage inflicted on several American military positions during the conflict with Iran.
The service members provided the images on condition of anonymity because of military restrictions governing interaction with the media, CBS reported.
The photographs emerged alongside findings from the US Defense Department’s inspector general that put equipment losses from the Iran war at up to $3.7 billion, including nearly 60 aircraft.
Eight Countries Reportedly Hit
According to the inspector general’s mandatory report to Congress, US Central Command reported Iranian strikes against American military positions across eight Middle Eastern countries:
Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.
The scale of the geographical spread underscores how Iran’s missile and drone campaign affected US military infrastructure across multiple Gulf and Middle Eastern states rather than a single installation.
CNN, citing the Pentagon inspector general’s findings, reported that hundreds of buildings and structures had been damaged or destroyed since the conflict began.
The watchdog also found that the scale of the attacks had affected how US forces operate across the region and contributed to pressure on key American munitions inventories.
E-3 Sentry Aircraft Hit in Saudi Arabia
Some of the most striking reported damage occurred at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
One photograph obtained by CBS shows what the broadcaster described as a direct strike on the rear of a Boeing E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control aircraft, with its tail separated from a heavily burned fuselage.
The E-3 Sentry is an airborne warning and control aircraft used to provide surveillance, command-and-control and situational awareness for military operations.
Other photographs from Prince Sultan Air Base showed severely damaged buildings and barracks, according to the CBS report.
Images also showed damage to concrete protective barriers around facilities.
Camp Buehring in Kuwait Also Damaged
Significant destruction was also documented at Camp Buehring in Kuwait, a major staging facility used by US Army personnel and military equipment.
Photographs from the installation showed extensive damage, according to the report.
Camp Buehring has long served as an important logistical hub for US military operations in the region, supporting personnel, armoured vehicles and other military assets.
The newly released imagery adds visual evidence to earlier reports of Iranian missile and drone attacks on American positions in Kuwait.
Iran had launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks against US bases across the Gulf after American and Israeli strikes against Iran began in February. Explosions and attacks were reported in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE during the initial phase of the conflict.
Nearly 60 US Aircraft Lost or Damaged
The Pentagon inspector general’s assessment indicates that aircraft losses have become a significant component of the material cost of the conflict.
The report estimated US equipment losses at as much as $3.7 billion, including nearly 60 aircraft, according to current reporting on its findings.
Separately, a May Congressional Research Service report had already said 42 US military aircraft had been lost or damaged by that stage of the conflict.
More recent Iranian strikes have added to those losses.
Last week, Iranian strikes damaged multiple American aircraft at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. One A-10 Thunderbolt II reportedly lost a wing, while around eight F-15 fighter aircraft sustained lighter damage and were subsequently returned to service.
These figures cover different reporting periods and therefore should not simply be added together.
Hundreds of US Structures Damaged or Destroyed
Beyond aircraft, the Pentagon watchdog found extensive damage to American military infrastructure.
CNN reported that the inspector general’s assessment documented hundreds of buildings and structures damaged or destroyed since the conflict began in February.
The consequences extended beyond military installations.
Iranian attacks caused approximately $184 million in damage to US diplomatic facilities across the Middle East, according to the watchdog findings discussed by CNN.
The inspector general’s report also found that American munitions stocks had come under significant pressure during the fighting.
That finding is consistent with separate reporting showing heavy US expenditure of Patriot, THAAD and other missile interceptors while defending American forces and regional positions against Iranian ballistic missiles and drones.
Photos Offer New View of Battlefield Damage
The significance of the CBS photographs is that they provide visual evidence from inside several affected installations at a time when access to US military facilities and imagery showing battle damage has been restricted.
One active-duty service member who supplied photographs told CBS that the extent of the damage had not been fully communicated publicly.
Such comments represent the individual service member’s assessment rather than an official Pentagon conclusion.
The Pentagon did not respond to CBS News’ request for comment about the photographs, according to the report.
The Pentagon inspector general’s separate findings, however, provide official documentation that the conflict has resulted in substantial equipment, infrastructure and munitions losses.
Damage Adds to Growing Cost of Iran War
The newly documented base damage comes as Washington faces growing scrutiny over the financial and military costs of the conflict.
A separate Congressional Budget Office assessment puts the broader cost of the Iran war at around $38 billion, with costs potentially rising by approximately $3 billion for every additional month of fighting.
The Pentagon inspector general estimated the cost through June 19 at $33.4 billion, including damage to US diplomatic facilities.
The reports indicate that the consequences for the US military extend beyond the direct financial cost.
Damage to aircraft and bases, expenditure of high-end missile interceptors and the need to replenish critical munitions are increasingly central to assessments of the war’s impact on American military readiness.
The latest imagery provides additional evidence of the physical toll on US installations across the region, but some specific damage assessments remain based on photographs and accounts supplied by service members rather than detailed public Pentagon disclosures.
