Report says the intensity of retaliatory strikes has signalled that Iran was more prepared for war than anticipated
This picture shows rocket trails in the sky above Netanya on June 13, 2025. Air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem and loud blasts were heard on June 13, AFP journalists reported, as the Israeli military said it had detected a missile launched from Iran. Photo: AFP
At least 17 United States military, diplomatic and air defence sites across the Middle East have been damaged by Iranian drone and missile strikes since the start of the conflict in the region, a New York Times analysis found on Wednesday.
The report said Iran responded to the US-Israeli assaults by targeting American installations across the region, hitting embassies, killing US soldiers, and damaging military bases and air defence infrastructure.
The New York Times identified at least 17 damaged US sites, several of which were struck more than once since the conflict began, based on high-resolution commercial satellite imagery, verified social media videos, and statements by US officials and Iranian state media.
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“The intensity of the retaliatory strikes has signalled that Iran was more prepared for the war than many in the Trump administration had anticipated,” the report cited a US military official as saying.
The analysis said Iran fired thousands of missiles and drones at US and allied military sites, hitting almost half of the bases despite most being intercepted. “At least 11 American military bases or installations have been damaged — nearly half of all such sites in the region,” the report quoted an unnamed US official as saying.
Several US military facilities in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar were struck on February 28, the first day of the conflict. “Iran targeted, including Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia; Ali Al Salem Air Base and Camp Buehring in Kuwait; and Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US base in the Middle East,” it said.
Satellite imagery also showed damage to buildings and communication infrastructure at Ali Al Salem, Camp Arifjan, Shuaiba port, and Camp Buehring in Kuwait during the first week of the conflict.
In Bahrain, the US Navy Fifth Fleet headquarters was targeted on March 1, along with strikes on Prince Sultan Base in Saudi Arabia and Al Udeid in Qatar. Iran also hit Al Dhafra Base and Jebel Ali port in the UAE, as well as Muwaffaq Salti in Jordan and Erbil Airport in Iraq.
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The full cost of damage is difficult to estimate, though a Pentagon assessment cited by the report placed the cost of the single strike on the US Navy Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain at about $200 million. “A Pentagon assessment provided to Congress last week put the cost of the single strike on the US Navy Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain on Feb 28 at about $200 million,” a congressional official told the New York Times.
The analysis also highlighted systematic Iranian targeting of radar and communications systems, including components of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system, which tracks and intercepts incoming aerial threats. “Among the costliest American losses to infrastructure have been to the air defence systems that protect US and allied interests across the Middle East,” the report said, adding that a single radar unit of this type could cost up to half a billion dollars.
Gulf nations have also deployed US-made air defence equipment near critical infrastructure, including oil refineries, forming a de facto extended US military sensor network. Iran targeted such sites, including the Al Ruwais facility in the UAE, though the full extent of damage remains unclear.
“The affected radars would be difficult to repair or replace,” Michael Eisenstadt, director at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told the New York Times.
Despite multiple attacks on structures and storage sites, analysts said US military capabilities were unlikely to be significantly degraded.
“The US has such redundancy in collecting intelligence and other information from sensor networks, whether it’s land-based radars, aircrafts or space-based systems,” said Seth G. Jones, president of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
Iran also struck non-military US targets in Dubai, Kuwait City, Riyadh, and Baghdad, with no reported injuries. While the attacks continue, their frequency has fallen sharply since the first day of the conflict, with drone strikes down by 83% and ballistic missile attacks by 90%, according to Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the US Central Command.
Human losses include a drone strike on March 1 at a structure housing US personnel at Shuaiba port in Kuwait, which killed six American service members. An additional US service member was killed the same day in a separate strike at a base in Saudi Arabia, bringing the toll to seven, the Pentagon said.
