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Iran has targeted key US military facilities in the Gulf since the US-Israeli strikes on February 28, causing millions of dollars in damage to state-of-the-art air defence systems.
Some US bases have suffered extensive damage in Iranian attacks. (Reuters/Representational Image)
Iran has damaged at least 20 US military sites since the beginning of the war on February 28, according to satellite images and videos analysed by BBC. The data suggested that the Iranian attacks are more extensive than publicly acknowledged.
Iran has targeted around 28 key US military facilities across several countries in the Gulf since the US-Israeli strikes on February 28, causing millions of dollars in damage to state-of-the-art air defence systems, refuelling aircraft and radars.
An earlier US Congressional report found that Iran destroyed or heavily damaged at least 42 aircraft during the 40-day aerial bombing campaign, including fighter jets, refuelling tankers, surveillance planes and drones.
Damage Worth Millions Of Dollars
The BBC satellite data analysis has shown that Iran is rebuilding its missile sites. It has also damaged as many as 28 US military facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Bahrain and Oman.
Among the valuable hardware damaged were three state-of-the-art anti-ballistic missile battery systems at the Al Ruwais and Al Sader airbases in the UAE and Muwaffaq Salti Airbase in Jordan. These systems cost up to $1 billion, need a crew of 100 troops to operate, and each interceptor costs around $12.7 million per round.
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Iranian strikes have also heavily hit US refuelling and surveillance aircraft at Prince Sultan Airbase in Saudi Arabia, expert analysis of satellite images show, with damaged aircraft and smoking craters clearly visible. One aircraft was identified by a MAIAR analyst as an E-3 Sentry surveillance plane, which costs around $700 million to replace.
Iran also targeted Ali Al Salem Airbase and Camp Arifjain in Kuwait, and analysts said several fuel storage bunkers, aircraft hangars and troop accommodation in the base were destroyed in multiple strikes. The satellite communications hardware at Camp Arifjan also received extensive damage.
No Safe Place For US Bases?
Iran has targeted both US bases and shared military facilities in retaliation for the coordinated military campaign that killed former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior Iranian officials.
Mojtaba Khameni, the new Supreme Leader of Iran, sought to highlight his military’s success on Tuesday, affirming that the West Asia region was no longer a “safe place” for American bases.
In a message posted during the annual Hajj season, Mojtaba Khamenei urged Islamic countries to strengthen cooperation with Tehran and work collectively to address challenges facing the Islamic world. He also described Israel as a “cancerous tumor” nearing its “final stages.”
While the White House has repeatedly claimed that Iran’s military has been almost wiped out, analysts say the damage seen at US facilities suggests that Tehran’s counter-attacks have been more precise and extensive than American officials have previously acknowledged.
Meanwhile, the US has sought to limit satellite analysis of the conflict by requesting Planet, a major provider, to impose an “indefinite” restriction on new images of Iran and most of the region. The company said it wanted to ensure that its images are not used by “adversarial actors” to target allied personnel and civilians.
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