Newly obtained photographs depict the scale of destruction at United States military installations in the Middle East resulting from Iranian strikes. The images, provided by active-duty service members and acquired by CBS News, show a severELY damaged Boeing E-3 Sentry radar aircraft in Saudi Arabia, flattened trailers, and destroyed structures in Kuwait.
The undated photos were taken at US bases in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. One service member, who spoke to CBS on condition of anonymity, stated that the extent of the damage to the bases has not been fully communicated to the American public. “We’re standing there with our eyes closed getting punched in the face,” the service member said.
Among the most striking images is one showing the wreckage of a Boeing E-3 Sentry at Prince Sultan Air Force Base in Saudi Arabia, approximately 62 miles southeast of Riyadh. The aircraft has been torn in half, with its tail section crumpled into a tangled mass of metal. While the photo is undated, BBC Verify previously confirmed a similar image of the same radar aircraft from March. At that time, a US official told Reuters that 12 American personnel were wounded, two seriously, in an attack on the air base.
Other images reportedly from Camp Buehring in Kuwait show crumpled trailers and a large tent-like structure reduced to shreds, with smoke billowing from the site. A separate photo captures damage to a four-storey building at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Although damage at this site was reported in March, including to satellite communications hardware, it is unclear if the image corresponds to the same incident.
These visuals come one day after the Pentagon’s watchdog confirmed that hundreds of buildings and structures at US bases across the region have been damaged or destroyed by Iran. The report also noted that equipment losses total $3.7 billion (£2.8 billion). The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) added that replacing the lost E-3 aircraft alone would cost $500 million (£371 million), as the model is no longer in production. The CBO estimated the total cost of equipment lost in battle, including planes, drones, and a terminal high altitude area defense system, at $1.9 billion (£1.4 billion).
Brian Katulis, a former national security official and now a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, criticized the administration’s handling of the situation. He argued that the visible damage indicates America had not adequately prepared its defenses and suggested that adversaries like China and Russia may have assisted Iran in targeting. Katulis stated that the Trump administration has done nothing to address these vulnerabilities and that the conflict has forced the diversion of military assets from Asia to the Middle East, leaving US partners in Asia more exposed to China.
Political pressure on the White House is mounting. On Tuesday night, the US House of Representatives voted for the third time to end the war with Iran, approving a measure that would compel President Donald Trump to halt US military action without congressional approval. The vote passed with support from several Republicans, potentially marking the final House vote on the matter before the midterm elections in November. The legislation faces an uncertain path, as the US Senate has not indicated whether it will take up the issue.
Simultaneously, outgoing Republican Congressman Thomas Massie announced an effort to impeach Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth as new details about the war’s financial toll emerged. The Trump administration has backed Hegseth, with US Attorney General Todd Blanche telling reporters he was “doing a phenomenal job.” The Pentagon’s inspector general confirmed that the war has led to US munitions shortfalls, while overall US spending on the conflict reached $33.4 billion (£24.7 billion) by 29 June.
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