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Original article: 228 ubicaciones estadounidenses fueron destruidas en respuesta defensiva de Irán

According to satellite imagery analysis conducted by The Washington Post on May 6, Iranian airstrikes have damaged or destroyed at least 228 buildings or facilities at U.S. military bases across the Middle East since the outbreak of the war. This includes hangars, barracks, fuel depots, aircraft, and critical radar, communication, and air defense equipment. The extent of the damage significantly exceeds what the U.S. government has publicly acknowledged or previously reported.

Authorities have indicated that due to the threat of air attacks, some U.S. military bases in the region were deemed too dangerous to maintain normal staffing levels, leading commanders to relocate most personnel from these bases out of the range of Iranian fire during the early stages of the conflict.

The U.S. military reports that seven personnel have died in attacks against U.S. facilities in the region since the war commenced on February 28: six in Kuwait and one in Saudi Arabia. By the end of April, over 400 soldiers had been injured. While most of those injured returned to duty within days, at least 12 injuries were classified as serious by the military, according to U.S. officials. These officials requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Currently, obtaining satellite imagery of the Middle East is extremely challenging. Vantor and Planet, the two largest commercial providers, agreed—at the request of their primary client, the U.S. government—to restrict, delay, or indefinitely suspend the release of images from the region during the war, making it difficult, if not impossible, to assess the potential for an Iranian retaliation. These restrictions were implemented less than two weeks after the conflict began.

However, Iran’s state news agency has consistently published high-resolution satellite images on its social media accounts since the outset, claiming to document the sabotage of U.S. facilities.

The Washington Post compared over 100 high-resolution satellite images published by Iran with lower-resolution images from the EU’s Copernicus satellite system. Had high-resolution images from Planet been made available, they would have also been compared in the same manner. Ultimately, the authenticity of 109 of the images was verified.

The Post excluded 19 Iranian images from its analysis because the comparison with the lower-resolution Copernicus images was unclear.

Notably, U.S. media acknowledged that no manipulated Iranian images were found.

In a separate search for Planet images, the Post reporter also discovered 10 damaged or destroyed buildings that were not documented in the images published by Iran.

Finally, The Post confirmed that 217 buildings and 11 pieces of equipment at 15 U.S. military bases in the region had been damaged or destroyed.

Experts who reviewed all these analyses stated that the damage at the bases indicated the U.S. military underestimated Iran’s attack capabilities, failed to adequately adapt to modern warfare involving drones, and that some bases were poorly protected.

Mark Cancien, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a retired Marine Corps colonel, stated: «The Iranian attack was precise. There are no random craters indicating failed impacts.»

It is likely that some damage occurred after U.S. troops had withdrawn from the base, which diminished the importance of protecting the buildings. Cancien and other experts expressed skepticism that these attacks had significantly hampered the U.S. military’s ability to bomb Iran.

U.S. Central Command, responsible for matters in the Middle East, declined to comment on The Post’s detailed conclusions. A military spokesperson refuted experts’ claims that the damage to the base was extensive or indicative of failure, stating that damage assessments are complex and may be misleading in some cases, but refused to provide specific details. The spokesperson also indicated that senior military leadership would provide more comprehensive information regarding the Iranian attack once the conflict concluded.

Previously, Guancha.cn analyzed the expenses and losses of the U.S. military, estimating total losses could reach $6.5 billion. According to a BBC report from March 21, excluding damage from radar, building-related losses could amount to $310 million. However, the latest research from the Daily Mail suggests the losses could be much higher.

Guancha

La entrada Iran’s Defensive Response: 228 U.S. Locations Destroyed Amid Ongoing Conflict se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.