Majority of US bases in West Asia damaged in retaliatory strikes by Iran, allies: Probe
A new investigation by CNN has found that a large portion of the United States’ military installations across West Asia have sustained damage following strikes by Iran and its allies, raising concerns in Washington about the resilience of its regional infrastructure.
According to the probe, whose results were reported by the network on Friday, at least 16 US military sites in eight countries in the region were targeted.
‘Virtually inoperable’
In several cases, the damage was described as severe enough to render targeted facilities “virtually inoperable.”
The findings indicated that the affected sites account for most US military positions in the region, a congressional aide familiar with damage assessments told CNN.
The investigation was based on dozens of satellite images as well as interviews with sources in the United States and the Persian Gulf’s littoral Arab states.
‘Never seen anything like it’
Officials cited in the report offered differing views on the extent of the destruction.
“There has been a spectrum of assessments,” one 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 familiar with the situation, however, said, “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Satellite imagery reviewed by CNN indicated that the strikes focused on high-value military assets, including radar systems, communications infrastructure, and aircraft.
“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.” Many of these systems are described as costly and difficult to replace.
Rising financial toll
The financial impact of Iran’s retaliation has also come into focus. The US Department of War’s comptroller Jules Hurst III told lawmakers that the war has cost the United States $25 billion so far.
However, a separate source familiar with the matter said internal estimates place the cost significantly higher, at between $40 billion and $50 billion.
The developments have also prompted concern among Washington’s regional partners.
“The war showed us that the alliance with the US cannot be exclusive and it is not impregnable,” one Saudi source told CNN.
Iran’s reprisal began on February 28, momentarily following the launch of the United States’ and the Israeli regime’s latest bout of unprovoked aggression targeting the Islamic Republic.
In at least 100 waves of retaliatory strikes, Iran’s Armed Forces delivered decisive blows to strategic and sensitive American assets across a large swathe of the region, including in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Jordan.
Similar assets belonging to the Israeli regime were also hit throughout the whole expanse of the occupied territories.
Regional resistance movements, including those in Lebanon and Yemen, cooperated with the Iranian servicemen in delivering some of the blows.
