Iranian strikes inflict 'irreparable' damage on US bases: Report
10:01, 19/09/2026, Saturday
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File PhotoA senior US service member told ABC News that American military installations in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have sustained irreparable damage from Iranian strikes, as photos and videos obtained by the outlet reveal destroyed surveillance aircraft and facilities six months into a war that has cost Washington billions of dollars.
US military bases across the Middle East have sustained heavy damage from Iranian strikes, according to photos and videos obtained by ABC News, as the Pentagon assesses the toll of a war Washington launched more than six months ago.
The images show damaged buildings and an aircraft at three bases in Kuwait and a Saudi base hosting US assets, some of which were evacuated, according to the report. One photo appears to show an E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft, valued at $270 million, damaged in late March at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
'Irreparable' harm
"These bases have been irreparably damaged. And if we choose to rebuild them, it's going to be a decades-long undertaking," a senior US service member told ABC News, speaking on condition of anonymity. The service member accused the Pentagon of a lack of transparency, saying: "There are drone strikes and ballistic missile strikes actively landing on bases every day."
War costs and casualties
A Pentagon inspector general report released Monday indicated "hundreds of buildings and structures" were damaged. The watchdog estimated the war's cost at $33 billion, while the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office put it at $38 billion. The Defense Department said 18 US service members have been killed and 824 wounded since the war began on Feb. 28.
The deadliest attack came on the second day, when six soldiers were killed at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said force protection is a top priority, though he acknowledged some Iranian weapons get through.