Report: Iranian Strikes Inflict Heavy Damage on US Bases Across Middle East

By Staff, Agencies

US military bases in the Middle East have suffered significant damage from Iranian strikes, according to photos and videos obtained by ABC News, as the Pentagon assesses the impact of a war Washington launched more than six months ago.

The report said the images show damaged buildings and an aircraft at three bases in Kuwait, as well as a Saudi base hosting US military assets. Some of the facilities were evacuated following the strikes.

One photograph appears to show an E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft, valued at about $270 million, damaged in late March at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, the report said.

“These bases have been irreparably damaged. And if we choose to rebuild them, it's going to be a decades-long undertaking,” a senior US service member said on condition of anonymity.

The service member also accused the Pentagon of lacking transparency, saying Iranian drone and ballistic missile strikes were continuing to hit US bases.

A Pentagon inspector general report released Monday indicated that “hundreds of buildings and structures” had been damaged. The watchdog estimated the cost of the war at $33 billion, while the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated it at $38 billion.

The US War Department said 18 US service members had been killed and 824 wounded since the war began on February 28. The deadliest incident occurred on the second day of the conflict, when six soldiers were killed at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait.

The reported damage underscores Iran’s ability to reach US military positions across the region despite American defensive measures. War Secretary Pete Hegseth has acknowledged that some Iranian weapons have managed to penetrate US defenses, while maintaining that force protection remains a priority.

Iran has presented its military actions as a response to US military operations and has emphasized its opposition to the presence of American forces in the region.