By Miles J. Herszenhorn

 

WASHINGTON, 16 Sept. - (ANA) - Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and other structures at U.S. bases across eight countries in the Middle East, according to a report on the Iran war from the Pentagon’s official watchdog.

 

Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of facilities at US bases in the Middle East.

 

A new Pentagon watchdog report reveals the scope of damage caused by Iran's strikes against the US.

 

Attacks on a key US naval base caused logistical challenges for American warships in the region.

 

Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at US military bases across the Middle East this year, a new Defense Department watchdog report has revealed.

 

The Pentagon inspector general's report, released on Monday evening, offers a fresh look at the impact of the Iran war, including the scope of damage caused by Tehran's strikes against the US following the start of joint American-Israeli military action earlier this year.

 

US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan took damage, the report said. It cited information shared by US Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East.

 

The report to Congress, which covers developments between April 1 and June 30, does not say how much it could cost to repair those facilities. It did acknowledge, however, that Iranian attacks on US diplomatic facilities in four countries caused roughly $184 million in damage.

 

US and partner forces shot down more than 6,000 Iranian drones and 1,500 ballistic missiles that targeted their locations, but some munitions slipped past their air defenses, causing both damage and casualties across the region.

 

Among the facilities struck during the fighting was a US naval base in Bahrain, the American Navy's main logistics hub supporting operations in the region. Tehran targeted the base with both ballistic missiles and drones, forcing the US to divert naval sustainment resources from Bahrain to alternate locations.

 

The report said the establishment of support naval infrastructure "posed significant challenges" during Operation Epic Fury, partly due to uncertainty over port access from host countries.

 

Distance was another factor. For instance, CENTCOM shifted logistics support to Diego Garcia, a joint US-UK base in the Indian Ocean, but that required logistics cycles of more than two weeks because of the extended sea transit, the report said.

 

These logistical strains affected Navy warships supporting American combat operations, including USS Abraham Lincoln, which faced key supply issues before the aircraft carrier left the Middle East last month. The Pentagon has faced questions from Democratic lawmakers amid concerns over crew well-being.

 

In addition to US military facilities, dozens of American aircraft were also damaged or destroyed during Operation Epic Fury, including fighters, refueling planes, helicopters, and combat drones, the report said, citing information from the Congressional Research Service.

 

Some of the US aircraft were struck by Iranian fire on the ground at their bases, while others were hit in the air. Some aircraft were accidentally downed by friendly forces. The tally includes up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones destroyed "in various circumstances." They are estimated to cost upward of $30 million apiece.

 

The Department of Defense spent an estimated $33.4 billion on Operation Epic Fury during the period covered by the report, it said. That figure includes $3.7 billion in equipment losses.

 

The war has also resulted in a shortfall of strategic munitions and revealed “bottlenecks” in the defense industry as the U.S. military sought to resupply the depleted stock of munitions.  

 

The report, produced by the Defense Department’s inspector general for Congress, was released on Sept. 14 and covers the start of the war on Feb. 28 through June 30. It offers the most comprehensive official account of the war’s cost and impact on U.S. military bases and equipment.

 

The war, which President Donald Trump initially estimated would last four to five weeks, is now in its seventh month and has cost the U.S. at least $33.4 billion as of June 29, according to the report. The figure does not account for repairs to damaged facilities and many experts believe the total cost of the war is significantly higher.

 

More than 50,000 U.S. service members have been deployed in U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility to support the Iran war. Since the start of the conflict, 18 have died and more than 800 were wounded.

 

The war has also resulted in the loss of dozens of U.S. military aircraft. The report revealed that four F-15E jet fighters, an F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, an A-10 Warthog, seven KC-135 refuelers, and nine other aircraft were damaged or destroyed in the war. At least 30 MQ-9 drones were destroyed in various circumstances.

 

The watchdog report also found that the war in Iran has caused “strategic inventory shortfalls” of critical munitions and revealed resupply bottlenecks. - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/16 September 2026 - - -