Iran War: Photos Show Extensive Damage to US Bases Across Middle East After Missile, Drone Attacks | Today’s news
Photos showing the extent of the damage have emerged after the Pentagon’s official watchdog released its first formal account of the loss of US facilities and equipment during the war with Iran in the Middle East.
A series of photographs published by US CBS News on Tuesday show extensive damage to buildings and vehicles at US military positions in the region following Iranian drone and missile attacks. The images were reportedly sent to CBS by active duty members.
Quick answers to key questions
•5 QUESTIONS
US military bases in the Middle East suffered extensive damage, including destroyed buildings and vehicles. Notable damage includes a Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Force Base and widespread destruction at Camp Buehring, Kuwait.
The losses are attributed to the extensive damage caused by the Iranian strikes, which destroyed hundreds of military buildings and structures at many US bases, resulting in significant destruction of equipment, including aircraft and ground vehicles.
At least 11 US soldiers have been killed in action due to Iranian attacks, with other casualties occurring during non-hostile conflicts.
Yes, the Pentagon report highlights strategic stockpile shortfalls and supply bottlenecks due to the conflict’s extensive use of munitions, raising concerns about the military’s ability to replenish its supplies.
The US Department of Defense has incurred costs in excess of $38 billion from the Iran war, including munitions expenditures, lost equipment, and operational costs, with potential monthly expenditures of $2–3 billion depending on the intensity of the conflict.
Read also | Iran War Costs US Military $38 Billion as CBO Warns of Higher Costs, Inflation
What the CBS photos show
The attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia damaged a four-engine Boeing E-3 Sentry. One photo showed that a direct hit had separated the tail section of the plane from the charred fuselage.
Other photos taken at the Saudi base showed dug-out buildings and a barracks.
Images from Kuwait’s Camp Buehring showed further damage. The base serves as the main staging area for US ground troops, armored vehicles, and some aircraft.
Losses to US equipment valued at $3.7 billion
A report by the Department of Defense Inspector General for the period from February 28 to June 30 stated that Iranian strikes “damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan.”
The strikes also forced the U.S. Central Command to relocate personnel, assets, and storage facilities as U.S. positions came under intense attack by Iranian forces and their proxies.
The report further revealed losses on equipment worth up to $3.7 billion. The US lost dozens of aircraft, losses including four F-15s, one F-35, seven KC-135s and up to 30 MQ-9s.
He documented Iranian strikes on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.
The United States spent $22 billion on spent munitions during the same period, bringing the total cost of the war to $33 billion, the report went on to say.
Read also | The Pentagon says the US is running out of weapons because of the war in Iran
US Army Losses
After the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, Tehran routinely bombed US bases across the region.
A Pentagon report said at least 11 US soldiers were killed in action, while seven others died during non-hostile events.
Of those killed in the Iranian attacks, six died in Kuwait’s Port Shuaiba on 1 March, one in Saudi Arabia on the same day, three at Jordan’s Muwaffaq al-Salti Air Base, also known as Al Azraq, on 17 July and one at Iraq’s Erbil Air Base on 19 July.
The report also said at least six people were killed when a KC-135 jet tanker crashed in Iraq on March 12. Another person was killed after an MH-60S helicopter crashed in the Arabian Sea on July 1.
A mandatory report submitted to the US Congress added that at least 417 US soldiers had been injured in Iranian attacks by June 30.
