US allies in the Gulf are in a dilemma, and some now consider US bases in the region to be a burden on them following Iran’s attacks [Getty]
At least 16 US military sites across eight countries in the Middle East were damaged in Iranian strikes during the war, a CNN investigation has revealed.
The conflict began on 28 February when the US and Israel started bombing Iran in a fallout over Tehran’s nuclear and missile programmes. Iran retaliated by striking Israel and US sites across the Middle East, immediately dragging the region into war.
Iranian drones and missiles targeted countries where US troops are stationed, including Gulf states, Iraq, and Jordan.
Some of these military sites have become nearly unusable, the report from CNN revealed.
“I’ve never seen anything like this at US bases. The strikes were rapid and precise, using advanced technology,” CNN cited a source familiar with the matter as saying.
Satellite imagery showed that Iran’s primary targets included advanced US radar systems, communications systems and aircraft deployed across the region, many of them costly and difficult to replace, according to the report.
Citing a congressional aide familiar with the damage assessments, CNN said the damaged facilities make up most US military sites in the region.
“Notably, they (Iran) identified these facilities as the most cost-effective targets to strike,” the same official said, pointing out that “our radar systems are our most expensive and our most limited resource in the region.”
Iranian targets included E-3 Sentry reconnaissance aircraft, which were destroyed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, as well as communications equipment, including facilities damaged at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. Radar systems, such as those hit at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, were also hit.
Tehran secretly acquired in 2024 China’s reconnaissance satellite TEE-01B, giving it clearer imagery of US bases in the region, a report by the Financial Times said. This marks the first time Washington has faced an adversary with satellite imagery capabilities that are nearly comparable in detail to its own.
After the war, and amid a fragile truce between the US and Iran, CNN said that US allies in the region are facing a dilemma.
Some officials in the Gulf have already criticised the deployment of the US military in the region, saying such a presence has become a burden rather than a strategic asset.
Iran and its network of allies in the region made up of several armed groups have repeatedly called on Washington to pull its troops out of the Middle East.
US military installations previously seen as formidable fortresses have turned into sitting targets, CNN said.
“While Iran is somehow demonstrating a level of strength that makes the American presence in the region more necessary for Gulf security, there is a new reality in which US military installations, which were previously considered military fortresses, have become easy targets.”
No official US or Gulf response has yet been issued following the reports, CNN said.
But it quoted a Saudi source as saying: “The war has shown Saudi Arabia that an exclusive alliance with the United States cannot be relied upon and is not invulnerable.”
As well as US installations in the region, Iran also attacked civilian infrastructure across the Gulf states, including ports and airports and famous landmarks. Oil and gas refineries were also bombed.
