Photos reveal extensive damage to US bases from Iranian strikes

Photographs obtained by CBS News and shared with the BBC show the scale of destruction that Iranian strikes have inflicted on American military installations across the Middle East—damage that, according to active military personnel who provided the images, has not been fully communicated to the American public. The photos depict a Boeing E-3 Sentry radar aircraft split in half at Prince Sultan Air Force Base in Saudi Arabia, its tail section twisted into a tangle of metal. They show flattened trailers and a large tent structure reduced to shreds at Camp Beuhring in Kuwait, smoke still rising from the site. A four-story building at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait stands damaged from an Iranian strike. One unnamed military member told CBS: "This is major damage to our bases that hasn't been communicated to the American public. We're standing there with our eyes closed getting punched in the face."

The photographs, which have not been independently verified by the BBC, arrived as the Pentagon's inspector general released a report documenting the full scope of the Iranian campaign. Between February 28, when the US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran, and the present day, Iranian forces have repeatedly struck American bases and allied positions throughout the Gulf. The watchdog report confirms that Iranian strikes have damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures across eight countries—Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan. Equipment losses alone total $3.7 billion. The overall cost of the war to the US through June 29 reached $33.4 billion.

The destruction extends to aircraft. Dozens of American planes were destroyed or damaged on the ground, according to the Pentagon report. Five refueling aircraft were lost or damaged in Saudi Arabia. The E-3 Sentry that appears in the photographs—a specialized radar platform used to detect and track targets at long range and provide early warning of threats—no longer rolls off any production line. When the aircraft was hit in March, twelve US personnel were wounded, two of them seriously. Replacing a single E-3 costs $500 million. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that total equipment losses, including planes, drones, and air defense systems, amount to $1.9 billion.

Brian Katulis, a former national security official who has served both Democratic and Republican administrations and now holds a senior fellowship at the Middle East Institute, examined the visible damage and concluded that "America had not adequately prepared its defences." He added that there is strong evidence China and Russia may have assisted Iran in targeting American positions. The Trump administration, he said, has taken no steps to address these vulnerabilities. The broader consequence extends beyond the Middle East itself. To sustain operations there, the US diverted military assets from Asia, leaving American partners in that region more exposed to Chinese pressure. The depletion of American munitions has emboldened Russia to test NATO allies and continue its war in Ukraine. While the US possesses the financial resources to repair and replace damaged equipment, budgetary constraints may prevent the military from doing so quickly enough to prepare for potential escalations in the Middle East or elsewhere.

Political pressure to end the conflict has intensified. On Tuesday night, the House of Representatives voted for the third time to approve a measure that would force President Donald Trump to cease military action against Iran without congressional authorization. The vote passed with support from several Republicans, marking what could be the final House action on the matter before November's midterm elections. The measure faces an uncertain future in the Senate, which has not signaled whether it will take up the bill. On the same day, outgoing Republican Congressman Thomas Massie announced an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as new details about the war's cost emerged. The Trump administration defended Hegseth, with Attorney General Todd Blanche telling reporters he was "doing a phenomenal job." The White House declined to comment directly, referring inquiries to US Central Command, which did not immediately respond.