Revealing the Extent of Damage from Iranian Attacks on U.S. Bases in the Middle East

New images exclusively obtained by CBS News show extensive damage to U.S. positions across the Middle East due to Iranian missile and drone attacks. Service members provided these images under anonymity due to strict media policies within the military.

A deployed service member noted, “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.” These words underscore the magnitude of the destruction that has yet to be fully communicated to the public.

One notable image from Prince Sultan Air Force Base in Saudi Arabia captures a Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft suffering direct damage. The tail has been severed from the charred fuselage, which held a crucial rotating radar for midair intelligence collection.

Additional photographs display gutted buildings and barracks, ironically next to untouched cement “T-wall” structures. These structures, once considered essential defenses against grenade and mortar assaults, have proven ineffective against aerial attacks.

Grim scenes from Camp Buehring in Kuwait, a key staging area for U.S. Army ground troops, armored vehicles, and aircraft, show hollowed buildings and destroyed infrastructure. This base is located in a remote desert northwest of Kuwait City.

The Defense Department’s inspector general released a report revealing “equipment losses” valued at up to $3.7 billion, including nearly 60 aircraft. This report, mandated by Congress, highlighted Iranian strikes in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan.

The Pentagon did not provide a comment. A service member further stated, “These are not ‘squirters’ getting through,” using terminology from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after the March 1 attack at Kuwait’s Port of Shuaiba, which resulted in six U.S. troop casualties. “We’re not defending these bases. We’re just watching them get destroyed.”