Washington Post: Iranian Airstrikes Severely Damaged US Bases, Extent of Damage Far Exceeds Official Statements

WASHINGTON (Central News Agency) — According to a satellite imagery analysis report released today by The Washington Post, Iranian airstrikes caused far more damage to US military installations across the Middle East than US officials publicly admitted.

Citing the Post's report, Turkey's Anadolu News Agency stated that the analysis documented 228 damaged structures and equipment across 15 US bases, including 217 buildings and 11 military assets.

The Post noted that the extent of the damage was far greater than the information publicly disclosed by US authorities. The White House did not immediately respond to the Post's findings.

More than half of the damage occurred at the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and three bases in Kuwait. A US official told the Post that these locations might have been heavily damaged because they allowed US forces to launch attacks from their territories.

The airstrikes destroyed Patriot missile defense systems in Bahrain and Kuwait, a satellite antenna at a Bahraini naval support facility, and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

The Post reported that at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, an E-3 Sentry early warning aircraft was destroyed after being repeatedly parked on an unprotected taxiway, and an aerial refueler was also damaged.

An official stated that the damage to the Bahraini naval support facility was "extremely severe," forcing the Fifth Fleet headquarters to relocate to Macdill Air Force Base in Florida. Two other officials said that US forces might never return to Middle Eastern regional bases on a large scale.

US Central Command (CENTCOM), responsible for Middle East affairs, declined to comment on the Post's detailed summary of findings.

A military spokesperson refuted experts' descriptions of the base damage as "severe" or representing a "failure," stating that assessing damage is complex and can be misleading in some cases, and declined to provide specific details.

The spokesperson added that military leadership would provide a more comprehensive context for Iran's attacks after the conflict ends. (Compiled by Lee Pei-shan) 1150507

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