Tehran/Washington, 16 September (H.S.): New images have emerged showing damage to US military installations in the Middle East following Iranian missile and drone attacks, providing further details about the extent of destruction at American bases in the region. According to reports, the photographs were shared by US service members on condition of anonymity. The images show damaged aircraft, buildings and vehicles at US military facilities in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Citing photographs released by US television broadcaster CBS News, Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency reported that an image from Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia shows extensive damage to the rear section of a four-engine Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft. The photograph shows the aircraft’s tail section separated from its charred main fuselage. The aircraft’s rotating radar system is a key component for airborne surveillance and intelligence gathering.

Other photographs from the base show damaged buildings and barracks. Some concrete wall structures located near the damaged buildings appear to have remained relatively intact.

Photographs from Camp Buehring in Kuwait also show damaged buildings, vehicles and other military assets. The camp is an important base for US Army ground troops, armoured vehicles and some aircraft. An image from Camp Arifjan also shows a damaged building.

A US service member told CBS News that the full extent of the damage to the bases had not been disclosed to the American public. The statement was made on condition that the service member’s identity remain confidential.

A new report by the US Department of Defense Inspector General has cited equipment losses of up to $3.7 billion during the conflict with Iran, including nearly 60 aircraft. According to the report, US Central Command had reported Iranian attacks on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.

According to the Inspector General’s report, Iranian attacks damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and other structures at US facilities in these countries. The full cost of repairing the affected bases has not yet been assessed.

Earlier, CBS News reported that several US military aircraft were damaged in an Iranian attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. According to sources, one A-10 aircraft sustained damage to one of its wings, while around eight F-15 fighter jets suffered minor damage and were subsequently returned to service.

The new photographs, together with the US Department of Defense Inspector General’s report, provide additional information about the damage caused by Iranian attacks on US military installations across the Middle East. At the same time, differences between the accounts provided by the service members who supplied the photographs and official military assessments have raised questions about the full extent of the damage.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar