ISTANBUL — Iran has inflicted more “extensive” damage to US bases and equipment in the Middle East since the start of US and Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, NBC News reported on Saturday, citing sources.
The report said that the damages from Iran’s retaliatory strikes against US military bases in seven Middle Eastern countries were “far worse than publicly acknowledged and is expected to cost billions of dollars to repair.”
Iran has hit dozens of targets, including warehouses, command headquarters, aircraft hangars, satellite communications infrastructure, runways, high-end radar systems, and dozens of aircraft, the report said.
The Pentagon has not detailed the extent of the damage to US military bases publicly, according to the report, with US Central Command declining to comment on battle damage assessments.
According to the report, some Republican lawmakers privately expressed their dissatisfaction with senior Pentagon officials for refusing to provide information on the extent of the damage or a cost estimate for repairs.
“No one knows anything. And it’s not for lack of asking,” one congressional aide was quoted by NBC News as saying. “We have been asking for weeks and not getting specifics, even as the Pentagon is asking for a record high budget.”
The report mentioned that the damage to and cost of repairing the bases could reignite a debate over the merits of maintaining US bases in such close proximity to an adversary like Iran. — Anadolu Agency
