Iran has reportedly destroyed a significant number of US military sites in the Middle East amid the ongoing conflict that began on February 28, when Washington launched a series of strikes jointly with Tel Aviv against Tehran.
According to CNN, citing its own investigations, Iran and its allies have damaged at least 16 US military installations across eight Middle Eastern countries, leaving some facilities severely degraded and partially unusable. The outlet used satellite images and interviews with officials in the United States and Gulf Arab states to reach this conclusion.
A congressional aide familiar with damage assessments noted that these affected sites constitute a significant portion of US military positions in the region. 'There has been a spectrum of assessments,' the source said, 'from a pretty dramatic side—of the whole facility is destroyed and needs to be shut down—to leaders who say these things are worth repairing due to the strategic benefit they give the US.'
Another US source described the scale of damage as unprecedented, stating, 'I've never seen anything like this before.' Satellite imagery reviewed in the investigation indicates that Iranian forces primarily targeted advanced radar installations, communications infrastructure, and aircraft. These systems are described as both costly and difficult to replace.
'It's notable they really identified those facilities as the most cost-effective targets to hit,' the congressional aide said. 'Our radar systems are our most expensive and our most limited resources in the region.'
The Pentagon's comptroller, Jules 'Jay' Hurst III, told lawmakers on Wednesday that the conflict with Iran has so far cost the US $25 billion. However, a source familiar with the matter told CNN that internal estimates place the figure closer to $40 to $50 billion.
US allies in the Gulf, who host many of these military facilities, have reportedly been heavily affected by the strikes and have privately expressed concern over Washington's handling of the conflict. One Saudi source told CNN, 'The war showed us that the alliance with the US cannot be exclusive and it is not impregnable.'
