Iran has inflicted more extensive damage on US military bases and equipment across the Middle East than publicly acknowledged, NBC News reported, citing sources familiar with the assessments.
The report said Iranian strikes since the start of US and Israeli operations on February 28 hit multiple facilities in at least seven countries. Targets included warehouses, command centres, aircraft hangars, satellite communications systems, runways, radar installations and aircraft.
Despite US air defence systems, the report noted that even an Iranian F-5 aircraft was able to strike, underscoring gaps in protection.
The scale of the damage has not been fully disclosed by the Pentagon. US Central Command declined to comment on battle damage assessments, the report said.
Some Republican lawmakers have privately expressed frustration over the lack of information. “No one knows anything. And it’s not for lack of asking,” a congressional aide was quoted as saying. “We have been asking for weeks and not getting specifics, even as the Pentagon is asking for a record high budget.”
Story continues below this ad
The report added that repair costs are expected to run into billions of dollars and could renew debate in Washington over the risks of maintaining US bases close to Iran.
The Pentagon has not detailed the extent of the damage to US military bases publicly, according to the report, with US Central Command declining to comment on battle damage assessments.
According to the report, some Republican lawmakers privately expressed their dissatisfaction with senior Pentagon officials for refusing to provide information on the extent of the damage or a cost estimate for repairs.
“No one knows anything. And it’s not for lack of asking,” one congressional aide was quoted by NBC News as saying. “We have been asking for weeks and not getting specifics, even as the Pentagon is asking for a record high budget.”
Story continues below this ad
The report mentioned that the damage to and cost of repairing the bases could reignite a debate over the merits of maintaining US bases in such close proximity to an adversary like Iran.
