Washington (TDI): US military bases across the Middle East have suffered extensive damage from Iranian attacks during the war, with images obtained by ABC News showing damaged buildings and military equipment at several American facilities in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
The images show damage at three US bases in Kuwait and at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, which hosts American military assets. Some facilities were reportedly evacuated amid the attacks. ABC News said the Pentagon has not publicly disclosed the full extent of the damage to US bases across the region.
Among the images is what appears to be an E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft damaged at Prince Sultan Air Base in late March. The aircraft, used for airborne early warning and surveillance, is valued at about $270 million, according to ABC News.
A senior US service member told ABC News on condition of anonymity that the damage to some facilities could take decades to repair. The official also accused the Pentagon of failing to fully disclose the scale of the ongoing attacks, saying drone and ballistic missile strikes were continuing to hit US bases.
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A Pentagon inspector general report found that “hundreds of buildings and structures” at US military installations in the Middle East had been damaged by Iranian attacks.
The Defense Department estimated the cost of the war at $33.4 billion as of June 29, including $22.3 billion in expended munitions and $3.7 billion in equipment losses. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office separately estimated the cost at about $38 billion.
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According to the Defense Department, 18 US service members have 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 US soldiers were killed at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said protecting US forces remains a top priority while acknowledging that some Iranian weapons have managed to penetrate American defenses.
