Iranian airstrikes have caused far greater damage to US military bases across the Middle East than previously known. Iranian airstrikes have damaged or destroyed at least 228 structures and pieces of equipment at US military sites across the Middle East since the US-Iran war began.
The strikes reportedly hit hangars, barracks, fuel depots, aircraft, as well as radar, communications and air defence systems, with the scale of destruction appearing far greater than what the US government has publicly acknowledged or what was previously reported, according to a latest report by The Washington Post.
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Iran has caused greater damage to the US: Report
The threat of continued air attacks forced the US military to reduce staffing at several regional bases considered vulnerable to Iranian strikes, with commanders relocating much of the personnel out of range soon after the conflict began, officials said.
Since the war started on February 28, seven US service members have been killed in attacks on American facilities in the region – six in Kuwait and one in Saudi Arabia – while more than 400 troops had been injured by late April, the report added. The Washington Post could not access the full extent of the damage.
Two major commercial providers, Vantor and Planet, reportedly complied with requests from the US government, which is their largest customer, to limit, delay or withhold publication of imagery from the region during the war. The restrictions came into effect less than two weeks after the fighting began.
At the same time, Iranian state-affiliated news agencies have regularly released high-resolution satellite images on social media, claiming to show damage to US military sites. For its investigation, described as one of the first comprehensive public assessments of the damage to American facilities in the region.
More than 100 such Iranian-released satellite images were reviewed, according to The Washington Post.
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‘US underestimated Iran’s targeting capabilities’
Military experts who reviewed the findings said the strikes indicated that the US may have underestimated Iran’s targeting capabilities, failed to adapt adequately to modern drone warfare and left some bases insufficiently protected.
Experts noted that some of the damage may have occurred after US troops had already evacuated certain facilities, reducing the operational significance of the losses.
What is happening in the US-Iran war?
Iran said it was reviewing the latest US proposals to end the war, as President Donald Trump warned Tehran of renewed bombing if it refuses a deal that includes reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.
Hopes of an end to the two-month conflict lifted global markets on Thursday, despite reports that the US military had hours earlier fired on an Iranian oil tanker allegedly attempting to break an American blockade of Iranian ports.
The developments came after days of conflicting signals from the Trump administration about its approach to ending the war.
“If they don’t agree, the bombing starts,” Trump wrote.
A fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran has largely held since April 8, though direct talks hosted by Pakistan last month failed to produce a deal. The conflict began on February 28, when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran.
