Exclusive photographs obtained by CBS News provide the first visual evidence of the extensive damage inflicted on United States military installations across the Middle East by Iranian missile and drone attacks. The images were provided by active-duty personnel who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to strict military media restrictions.
One deployed service member described the situation as a failure in communication with the public. “This is major damage to our bases that hasn’t been communicated to the American public,” the service member stated. “We’re standing there with our eyes closed getting punched in the face.”
Among the undated photographs is an image from Prince Sultan Air Force Base in Saudi Arabia, showing a Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft that sustained a direct hit to its rear section. The strike severed the tail from the charred fuselage, which still supported the rotating radar system critical for airborne intelligence gathering.
Additional images from Camp Buehring in Kuwait, a key staging area for ground troops and armored vehicles located northwest of Kuwait City, depict hollowed-out barracks and destroyed trailers. Notably, the rubble stands in contrast to nearby cement “T-wall” fortifications, which remained intact despite being designed primarily to withstand grenade and mortar attacks rather than aerial assaults.
The visual evidence aligns with a recent report from the Defense Department inspector general, which disclosed equipment losses valued at up to $3.7 billion, including the loss of nearly 60 aircraft. In a mandatory report to Congress for the first time, U.S. Central Command confirmed that Iranian strikes had targeted bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan.
Addressing the severity of the attacks, one service member refuted characterization of the projectiles as minor threats. Referencing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s comments after the March attack on the Port of Shuaiba that killed six troops, the service member said, “These are not ‘squirters’ getting through… We’re not defending these bases. We’re just watching them get destroyed.”
The Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment regarding the new images.
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