U.S. Media: At Least 228 U.S. Military Assets Damaged in Iran Conflict

On May 7, Xinhua News Agency reported from Beijing that an analysis of satellite images by The Washington Post on the 6th indicated that since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict at the end of February, at least 228 "structures" or equipment components at U.S. military sites in the Middle East have been damaged, including hangars, barracks, fuel depots, military aircraft, as well as key radar, communication, and air defense equipment. This level of damage is far more severe than what the U.S. government had previously publicly acknowledged or what media reports had indicated.

Identifying Battle Damage

This analysis compared 128 high-resolution satellite images released by Iranian media with mid-resolution images from the EU's "Sentinel-2" satellite system and high-resolution images from the U.S. Planet Labs company, confirming that 109 of the images are authentic, while the authenticity of another 19 images could not be determined. The analysis found no signs of image fabrication. The satellite images from Planet Labs also helped identify 10 military "structures" that had been destroyed but were not disclosed by Iranian media.

The analysis showed that from the outbreak of the Iran conflict until April 14, 217 "structures" and 11 equipment components at 15 U.S. military sites in the Middle East were damaged. This is higher than the battle damage previously disclosed by U.S. media.

The Washington Post reported that this analysis is based on available satellite images and only represents a portion of U.S. military battle damage, with more than half concentrated at the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and three military bases in Kuwait.

Mark Cancian, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, acknowledged that the Iranian airstrikes were "precise," and the satellite images did not show craters from missed targets, but he does not believe these attacks will significantly limit the U.S. military's ability to continue operations against Iran.

Three Reasons

Some experts pointed out that the extensive damage to military assets indicates that the U.S. military underestimated Iran's strike capabilities, failed to effectively adapt to modern drone warfare, and neglected the protection of certain bases.

Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, stated that the U.S. military hoped to quickly destroy Iran's missile and drone capabilities but underestimated the depth of Iranian intelligence on U.S. fixed infrastructure and did not consider the depletion of U.S. and Israeli air defense systems after last June's "War of the 12th."

According to estimates from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, from February 28 to April 8, the U.S. military used at least 190 "THAAD" interceptors and 1,060 "Patriot" interceptors, accounting for 53% and 43% of their pre-war stockpiles, respectively.

Decker Everlyth, a deputy research analyst at the U.S. Navy Analysis Center, and others pointed out that the U.S. military has not fully adapted to the use of one-way attack drones by the adversary. Although these drones have a small payload, they are harder to intercept and strike more accurately, thus posing a greater threat to the U.S. military.

Additionally, U.S. military bases face structural challenges such as a shortage of shelters. For example, at the tactical operations center in Kuwait where six U.S. soldiers were killed in a drone attack, there were very few overhead protective measures or hiding spots. Before being destroyed, the E-3 "Sentry" early warning aircraft deployed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia had repeatedly parked at the same location on an unprotected runway.

Base Evacuations

Reports indicate that the threat of Iranian airstrikes has led some U.S. military bases in the Middle East to be unable to maintain a normal complement of personnel, with most personnel evacuated to locations outside of Iran's fire range.

Maximilian Bremer, a non-resident fellow at the Stimson Center and a retired U.S. Air Force officer, stated that some U.S. military decision-makers are considering relocating troops to safer locations and limiting their operational capabilities while keeping the bases in their current state, accepting the possibility of greater losses.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian posted on social media in March accusing U.S. soldiers of leaving military bases in the Middle East and "hiding in hotels and offices," using civilians in Gulf countries as "human shields."

An unnamed U.S. official stated that the U.S. Navy base in Bahrain has been "extensively" damaged, and the headquarters located there has been moved to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, which is the location of the U.S. Central Command. These troops, contractors, or civilian employees are "unlikely to return to their original locations in the short term."

"We have moved from an era of stealth to an era where the entire battlefield is semi-transparent and increasingly transparent," Bremer said. "It feels like we should be on the offensive, but we are definitely in a defensive posture at these bases." (Ocean)