Iran damages 20 US military sites since start of war — media

Lead

A new analysis by BBC Verify has found that Iran has damaged at least 20 US military sites since the start of the conflict in February, according to satellite images and videos reviewed by the outlet. The facilities are spread across eight countries in the Middle East — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Bahrain, and Oman — and the actual figure could be higher, with some analysts placing the number of bases hit as high as 28.

The BBC report, published Tuesday, says the attacks have caused extensive damage to state-of-the-art air defence systems, refuelling aircraft, and radars. This suggests that Tehran's counter-attacks have been more precise and extensive than American officials have previously acknowledged, according to analysts cited by the BBC.

Coverage Comparison

Two narratives have emerged from the coverage. The BBC's investigation focuses on the scale and impact of Iranian strikes on US assets, while reporting from TASS, the Russian state news agency, highlights US military successes against Iranian capabilities — though one of the TASS articles also carried the BBC's findings.

According to a TASS report dated June 10, US President Donald Trump told Fox News that the US military has destroyed about 55% of the military capabilities Iran managed to restore during the ceasefire. Trump was quoted as saying that Tehran had been able to restore only a small portion of its military capabilities lost during the armed conflict, and that recent US strikes had eliminated 55% of those restored capabilities. The report also stated that, overnight into Wednesday, the US wiped out the radars and air defense systems that Iran had been trying to rebuild.

A separate TASS article, dated June 1, carried the BBC's analysis, noting that Iran had damaged at least 20 US military sites and targeted key facilities across the eight countries. That report did not include the more detailed claims about specific equipment losses from the BBC's original article.

Key Claims

• Iranian attacks on US facilities: According to BBC Verify, Iran has damaged at least 20 US military sites since the start of the war, with satellite imagery and videos showing damage to air defence systems, refuelling aircraft, and radars. The facilities are in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Bahrain, and Oman. A US defence official declined to comment on the findings, citing "operational security reasons," the BBC reported.

• Specific equipment losses: The BBC's analysis, citing a May estimate by the Pentagon, put the total cost of Operation Epic Fury at $29 billion, "with much of that likely to be spent on 'repair or replacement costs for equipment' destroyed in the conflict." The report also found 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. Additionally, Iranian attacks have damaged three Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries in the UAE and Jordan, and heavily hit US refuelling and surveillance aircraft in Saudi Arabia.

• US claims of Iranian capability destruction: According to TASS, President Trump stated that the US military has destroyed about 55% of the military capabilities Iran managed to restore during the ceasefire. Trump was quoted as saying that Iran had restored only a small portion of its military capabilities lost during the armed conflict, and that recent US strikes had eliminated 55% of those restored capabilities. The TASS report also says the US wiped out radars and air defense systems Iran had been trying to rebuild, though this claim is not independently verified and appears only in that single report.

Perspectives

The BBC's investigation presents a picture of a resilient Iranian military capability that has inflicted significant damage on US assets, challenging the White House's repeated claims that Iran's military has been almost wiped out. The report quotes analysts who say the damage seen at US facilities suggests Tehran's counter-attacks have been more precise and extensive than American officials have previously acknowledged. Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, has sought to highlight his military's success in striking US facilities, claiming in a statement on Tuesday that the Middle East was no longer a "safe place" for American bases.

On the other hand, President Trump's remarks, as reported by TASS, emphasize the effectiveness of US strikes against Iran's military, describing the elimination of 55% of Iran's restored capabilities. This narrative, which aligns with the US administration's messaging, downplays the extent of damage to US assets and focuses on the degradation of Iran's military power.

The conflict began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury. On April 7, President Trump announced a "double-sided" two-week ceasefire with Iran. According to Tehran, a total of 3,375 people were killed in US-Israeli strikes during the 40 days of the war. On April 11, the parties held talks in Islamabad but failed to agree on a long-term solution. On April 21, Trump announced plans to extend the ceasefire, though Iran's state broadcaster said Tehran does not intend to recognize Washington's unilateral extension but will act in accordance with national interests.

The BBC also reported that the US has sought to limit satellite analysis of the conflict by requesting Planet, a major provider, to impose an "indefinite" restriction on new images of Iran and most of the Middle East. The company justified the move, saying it wanted to ensure its images were not used "by adversarial actors to target allied and Nato-partner personnel and civilians." BBC Verify has used satellite imagery from other international providers combined with older images from Planet to track the damage caused by Iranian attacks.