Nicolai Haugsted
Leaked photos show active U.S. bases in the Middle East getting hammered by Iranian strikes.
Exclusive photo leaks obtained by CBS News demonstrate extensive wreckage across critical installations following waves of Iranian drone and missile barrages.
Personnel stationed on the ground shared the images anonymously to bypass strict military media bans, venting frustration over official briefings.
“This is major damage to our bases that hasn’t been communicated to the American public,” one deployed service member told CBS News. “We’re standing there with our eyes closed getting punched in the face.”
Destruction at Prince Sultan Air Force Base in Saudi Arabia stands out, where one image highlights a direct strike tearing through the back section of a Boeing E-3 Sentry airborne early warning aircraft. The severed tail piece rests beside a charred fuselage that once carried essential midair radar equipment.
Surrounding structures tell a similar story. Hollowed-out barracks sit directly alongside intact concrete “T-walls”—fortifications built historically to block mortar shells that proved utterly useless against modern aerial weapons.
Billions in Losses Across Eight Host Countries
Footage from Camp Buehring in Kuwait shows equally harsh destruction across staging grounds for ground forces and armored vehicles.
Fresh findings from the Defense Department’s inspector general reveal equipment losses scaling up to $3.7 billion, with nearly 60 aircraft damaged or destroyed. Mandatory congressional reporting confirms Iranian strikes landed on bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan.
Pentagon officials declined to provide public comment on the matter.
Soldiers on site dismissed previous official attempts to minimize incoming strikes, referencing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s comments following a fatal March 1 attack at Port of Shuaiba in Kuwait that killed six American personnel.
“These are not ‘squirters’ getting through,” the service member added. “We’re not defending these bases. We’re just watching them get destroyed.”
Outdated fortification strategies are forcing defense experts to rethink how troops are sheltered in overseas installations.
Traditional concrete barriers offer zero protection when guided drones dive in from above. Resolving these defense vulnerabilities will require massive investments in air interception systems if overseas facilities hope to withstand future aerial offensives.
