Photos obtained show widespread damage to U.S. sites in the Middle East from Iranian strikes. The photos were provided by active U.S. military personnel on condition of anonymity. One photo shows a Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft destroyed at Prince Sultan Air Force Base in Saudi Arabia. The aircraft was ripped in half, with its tail section severed and crumpled.

Photos from Camp Buehring in Kuwait show crumpled trailers and a large tent-like structure reduced to shreds with smoke billowing from the site. Camp Buehring is a major staging area for U.S. Army ground troops, armored vehicles, and some aircraft, located in a remote desert region northwest of Kuwait City. A photo shows a four-storey building damaged by an Iranian strike at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. Damage to Camp Arifjan, including satellite communications hardware, was reported in March.

Photos from Prince Sultan Air Force Base show hollowed-out buildings and barracks next to unaffected cement "T-wall" structures. Cement "T-wall" structures were once regarded as critical fortifications against grenade and mortar attacks but proved ineffective against aerial assault. U.S. military personnel described the situation in statements given on condition of anonymity.

"This is major damage to our bases that hasn't been communicated to the American public," one person said. Another said: "We're standing there with our eyes closed getting punched in the face."

The Pentagon Inspector General reported that dozens of U.S. aircraft were destroyed or damaged in the months after the war began. The report listed five refuelling aircraft damaged or destroyed on the ground in Saudi Arabia by Iranian munitions. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the total cost of equipment lost in battle, including planes, drones, and a terminal high altitude area defense system, at $1.9 billion. The Congressional Budget Office stated its review was subject to uncertainty because the Department of Defense did not respond to requests for information.

The Congressional Budget Office reported that the E-3 aircraft is no longer in production and would have to be replaced with the E-7. The office noted that the E-3 aircraft costs $500 million. The Pentagon Inspector General reported that the U.S. spent $33.4 billion on the war up to 29 June. The war's cost to the Pentagon has exceeded thirty-eight billion dollars.

The conflict between the U.S. and Iran began on 28 February when the U.S. and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran. Iran has repeatedly attacked U.S. bases and allied states in the Gulf, as well as Israel, since the war began. Six U.S. troops were killed in a March 1 attack on the Port of Shuaiba in Kuwait. The U.S. military destroyed two small Iranian boats attempting to seize a U.S. unmanned surface vessel in waters off Iran.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to end the war in Iran, approving a measure that would force President Donald Trump to end U.S. military action without congressional approval. The House vote to end the war in Iran passed with the help of several Republicans. The House vote to end the war in Iran was the third such vote.

Why It Matters

The discrepancy between the Pentagon Inspector General's $3.7 billion equipment loss estimate and the Congressional Budget Office's $1.9 billion figure shows differing assessments of the conflict's financial impact. The Inspector General's report covers a broader scope of damages across multiple bases in eight countries, while the CBO's estimate was constrained by a lack of cooperation from the Department of Defense. The destruction of specialized assets like the E-3 Sentry, which costs $500 million and is no longer in production, presents specific logistical challenges for replacement with the E-7 model.

The visual evidence of damage to critical infrastructure, including the failure of cement "T-wall" fortifications against aerial assaults, reflects the vulnerability of U.S. bases in the region. The reported casualties, including six troops killed in Kuwait and twelve wounded in Saudi Arabia, along with the ongoing political debate in the House of Representatives, reflect the human and legislative dimensions of the conflict. The repeated Iranian attacks on U.S. bases and allied states since the war began in February demonstrate the sustained nature of the hostilities.

Timeline

A U.S. official stated that 12 U.S. personnel were wounded, two seriously, in an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Force Base in March.

A similar photo of the same radar aircraft was independently verified in March.

What's New

The U.S. Central Command reported that Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan during the conflict.

The Pentagon Inspector General reported that nearly 60 aircraft were included in the equipment losses.