Iranian strikes on more than 26 US military bases and installations in the Middle East caused billions of dollars in damage to military equipment and infrastructure, according to an Associated Press (AP) analysis of satellite images and to officials it cited.
More than 115 drone and missile attacks claimed by Iran and Iran-backed groups between February and August damaged or destroyed infrastructure at US military sites, AP reported.
The analysis found that Iran first targeted the bases’ early-warning systems, radar and air defence equipment. Once those were put out of action, hangars, warehouses, troop housing and other facilities were hit.
Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait was attacked at least 30 times, damaging or destroying at least 15 aircraft hangars and several warehouses and buildings. Camp Buehring, also in Kuwait, suffered extensive damage, with the troops’ gymnasium, shops, dining hall and vehicle facilities hit.
US facilities in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were also attacked. A strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia damaged a US E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft and several other planes. A Congressional Research Service report said 15 US military aircraft had been damaged in the region.
According to AP’s analysis, the strikes significantly weakened US forces’ early-warning and air defence systems. Regional officials said the damage led the United States to move many aircraft, air defence systems and communications equipment out of the Persian Gulf region.
The US Department of Defense, however, said its troops and bases in the Middle East are secure and that it retains the capability it needs.
Analysts say the widespread use of cheap drones and missiles now puts fixed military bases at serious risk. Raphael Cohen, an analyst at the RAND Corporation, said countering such attacks will be a major challenge for the United States in future wars.
Experts fear that if fighting between Iran and the United States resumes, US military sites in the Middle East could suffer even greater damage, raising doubts over whether Washington will rebuild its military presence in the region as it was once the war is over.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report