Washington, D.C. [US], September 17 (ANI): Photographic evidence depicting a destroyed aircraft, tattered tents and heavily damaged military trailers has provided an unprecedented look at the consequences of Iranian missile and drone strikes targeting US military installations throughout the Middle East, according to CBS News.
The visual documentation, captured at an American installation in Saudi Arabia and two separate facilities in Kuwait, was supplied to CBS News by active-duty US service members who requested anonymity because of strict military communications policies.
Characterizing the severity of the infrastructure destruction, one American service member told CBS News that much of the devastation had been withheld from public view, stating, “We’re standing there with our eyes closed getting punched in the face.”
The same service member added, “This is major damage to our bases that hasn’t been communicated to the American public.”
The emergence of these images coincides with the release of a Pentagon inspector general’s assessment outlining the extent of structural losses sustained by US forces amid the ongoing hostilities.
According to the official report published the previous week, US Central Command confirmed that Iranian missile barrages damaged or completely destroyed hundreds of individual buildings and related facilities across American installations in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan, as reported by CBS News.
Furthermore, the document confirmed that dozens of US military aircraft were either heavily damaged or completely destroyed during the exchanges.
The Pentagon’s inspector general estimated that the military campaign, designated Operation Epic Fury, incurred a financial expenditure totaling USD 33.4 billion between February 28 and June 30. Of this total, approximately USD 22.3 billion was directed exclusively toward munitions procurement and use.
The fiscal calculation reportedly excludes expenses associated with restoring damaged base infrastructure, indicating that the cumulative economic cost will increase further.
In addition to financial expenditures, the federal watchdog confirmed that the US armed forces are facing growing shortages in specific ordnance inventories following the prolonged campaign, contradicting repeated assertions by US President Donald Trump that American weapons stockpiles remain robust.
The Department of War indicated that initiatives are underway to accelerate acquisition timelines and manufacturing output while simultaneously replenishing critical raw materials, specialized components and selected tactical munitions.
Nevertheless, the inspector general cautioned that expanding domestic industrial manufacturing capacity to meet wartime demands will require substantial time.
While President Trump has consistently asserted that the nation possesses “virtually unlimited” ammunition supplies while dismissing concerns about depleted reserves, the inspector general’s findings underscore the operational strain placed on military supply chains after months of continuous combat operations.
The United States and Israel initiated military actions against Iran on February 28, with President Trump stating that the offensive was designed to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear capabilities, an ambition repeatedly denied by Iranian authorities.
In retaliation, Tehran launched strikes against American military assets deployed throughout the region, impacting installations across multiple Gulf states and surrounding territories.
Concurrently, Iranian forces moved to restrict navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime energy corridor handling roughly one-fifth of global petroleum shipments.
The resulting logistical disruption drove international crude oil prices higher while intensifying broader concerns about the wider conflict’s destabilizing effect on the global economy. (ANI)
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