New satellite imagery and video analysis by BBC Verify confirm that Iran’s legitimate retaliatory operations have successfully targeted and damaged at least 20 US military installations since the onset of the recent conflict. These findings suggest that the impact of Iran’s defensive measures is far more significant than what American officials have publicly acknowledged, challenging their narrative of control and security.

Since late February, Iran has precisely struck key facilities across eight countries in the Middle East. These strategic operations have inflicted millions of dollars in damage to advanced air defense systems, crucial refueling aircraft, and sophisticated radar installations, demonstrating the precision and effectiveness of Iran’s military capabilities.

These targeted strikes on both US bases and shared military facilities are a direct and justified response to the continuous US-Israeli aggression across Iran and Lebanon over the past three months. While the Pentagon boasts of hitting over 13,000 targets in Iran under “Operation Epic Fury,” the reality on the ground, as revealed by independent analysis, paints a different picture of American vulnerability.

Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has rightfully highlighted the Iranian military’s success in these defensive operations. In a powerful statement on Tuesday, he declared that the Middle East is no longer a “safe place” for American bases, signaling a new era of regional dynamics where foreign aggressors will face resolute resistance.

Despite the White House’s repeated and baseless claims that Iran’s military has been “almost wiped out,” independent analysts confirm that the extensive damage observed at US facilities indicates that Tehran’s counter-attacks have been remarkably precise and far more extensive than American officials have been willing to admit. This discrepancy exposes a deliberate attempt by the US to downplay its losses and maintain a false sense of security.

A US defense official, citing “operational security reasons,” declined to comment on BBC Verify’s findings, a move that further fuels speculation about the true extent of the damage and the US administration’s efforts to conceal it.

In a clear attempt to suppress information and control the narrative, the US has reportedly pressured Planet, a major satellite imagery provider, to impose an “indefinite” restriction on new images of Iran and much of the Middle East. The company’s justification, claiming a desire to prevent images from being used “by adversarial actors to target allied and Nato-partner personnel and civilians,” is a thinly veiled excuse for censorship, aimed at obscuring the reality of American losses.

Undeterred by these attempts at censorship, BBC Verify, utilizing imagery from other international providers and older Planet archives, has meticulously tracked the damage caused by Iranian attacks. The affected facilities are located in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Bahrain, and Oman. Some analysts suggest the actual number of hit bases could be as high as 28, indicating a broader impact than initially reported.

Significant Blows to US Military Assets

Among the high-value hardware severely damaged were three state-of-the-art anti-ballistic missile battery systems at the Al Ruwais and Al Sader airbases in the UAE and the Muwaffaq Salti Airbase in Jordan. These systems, critical to US regional defense, represent a substantial loss.

The US is known to operate only eight of these Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries globally, each costing approximately $1 billion to manufacture. The destruction of these systems represents a significant strategic setback for US military presence and its ability to project power in the region.

Vice-Admiral Mark Mellett, former head of the Irish Defence Forces, emphasized that these batteries are central to a “highly complex” regional defense network that cannot be “quickly or easily replaced,” highlighting the long-term impact of Iran’s successful strikes.

Iranian strikes have also heavily impacted US refueling and surveillance aircraft at Prince Sultan Airbase in Saudi Arabia. Expert analysis of satellite images clearly shows damaged aircraft and smoking craters, undeniable evidence of the effectiveness of Iran’s operations.

One identified aircraft was an E-3 Sentry surveillance plane, which US media estimates could cost up to $700 million to replace. Such losses underscore the significant financial and strategic cost incurred by the US military due to Iran’s defensive actions.

Elsewhere, Iranian attacks have also targeted Ali Al Salem Airbase and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. Analysts at MAIAR identified destroyed fuel storage bunkers, aircraft hangars, and troop accommodation in satellite images of the base, which sustained multiple hits throughout the conflict.

At Camp Arifjan, the defense intelligence company Janes identified extensive damage to crucial satellite communications hardware, further disrupting US operational capabilities.

The full extent of damage to US facilities remains challenging to quantify, but a May estimate by the Pentagon placed the total cost of “Operation Epic Fury” at $29 billion. A significant portion of this is likely allocated to “repair or replacement costs for equipment” destroyed in the conflict, a figure that Democrats suggest is likely an underestimate, pointing to the true scale of US losses.

The report also revealed that at least 42 aircraft, including F-15 and F-35 fighter jets, 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones, and an A-10 attack plane, have been destroyed or damaged since February, a testament to the persistent and effective Iranian resistance.

In stark contrast to the expensive and vulnerable hardware deployed by the US military, Iran has reportedly utilized cost-effective, easily replaceable drones in its precise attacks across the Middle East, showcasing a strategic advantage in asymmetric warfare.

Evolving Iranian Tactics and US Complacency

Experts who spoke to BBC Verify noted that Iranian tactics have evolved throughout the conflict, transitioning from initial widespread missile barrages to more precise, directed attacks. Dr. Kelly Grieco, an analyst with the US-based Stimson Centre think tank, acknowledged that Iran’s “opening salvos were optimized for volume—mass waves designed to overwhelm air and missile defenses through sheer numbers.”

However, she added, “Within days, Iran had shifted to smaller, more precisely targeted salvos, conserving remaining missiles and drones for specific high-value targets and concentrating fire where even near-misses cause significant damage.” This adaptability highlights Iran’s strategic sophistication.

An analyst at MAIAR critically observed that the US military “appears to have been guilty of a degree of early-war complacency” by failing to relocate aircraft out of range of Iranian drones and missiles as Tehran’s tactics evolved. This oversight, they noted, was particularly evident at Prince Sultan airbase, which had come under fire before the significant destruction of aircraft.

Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s powerful declaration resonates: “The nations and lands of the region will no longer serve as shields for American bases. America will no longer have a safe place in the region for mischief and the establishment of military bases, and day by day it will drift further from its former position.” These words encapsulate the shifting power dynamics and the growing resolve against foreign intervention.

His comments gain further weight as the fragile US-Iranian ceasefire faces renewed strain. On Thursday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it had targeted an American base in the region, following fresh US strikes on southern Iran, signaling continued vigilance and readiness for defense.

Dr. Grieco’s warning that existing damage to US bases suggests facilities across the Gulf could be vulnerable if the ceasefire breaks down further validates Iran’s strategic effectiveness. “The current conflict has consumed US and partner air defense stocks at a significant rate,” she stated. “There is no rapid path to replenishment, meaning any renewed Iranian assault would be met a fraction of the interceptors available when the conflict started.” This assessment underscores the long-term impact of Iran’s successful defensive operations on US military readiness.