Satellite images and videos analysed by BBC Verify suggest Iran has damaged 20 US military sites across the Middle East since the start of the war, indicating that Tehran’s attacks may have been more extensive than publicly acknowledged.
The British broadcaster said Iranian attacks damaged 20 US military bases and shared military facilities in eight countries across the Middle East.
According to BBC Verify, the strikes targeted air defence systems, surveillance aircraft, fuel reserves, refuelling aircraft, radars and communication infrastructure.
The report said the damage caused to US facilities could run into millions, while broader repair and replacement costs linked to the conflict may reach billions of dollars.
Iran targeted facilities in eight countries
BBC Verify said Iran has struck key facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Bahrain and Oman since the end of February. Tehran carried out the attacks in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes across Iran and Lebanon over the past three months.
The Pentagon has said it has hit more than 13,000 targets in Iran since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury.
Khamenei claims US bases no longer safe
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has highlighted what he described as his military’s success in striking American facilities.
In a statement on Tuesday, he claimed the Middle East was no longer a “safe place” for US bases.
Khamenei said the nations and lands of the region would no longer serve as shields for American bases, adding that Washington would no longer have a safe place in the region for “mischief” or the establishment of military bases.
The White House has repeatedly claimed Iran’s military has been almost wiped out. However, analysts told BBC Verify that the damage visible at US facilities suggests Tehran’s counter-attacks have been more precise and extensive than American officials previously acknowledged.
A US defence official declined to comment on the BBC Verify findings, citing operational security reasons.
US restricts satellite image access
The United States has sought to limit satellite analysis of the conflict by asking Planet, a major satellite imagery provider, to impose an indefinite restriction on new images of Iran and most of the Middle East.
Planet said the move was aimed at ensuring its images were not used by adversarial actors to target allied and NATO-partner personnel and civilians.
BBC Verify said it used satellite imagery from other international providers, combined with older Planet images, to track damage caused by Iranian strikes.
The BBC report said the confirmed figure stands at 20 damaged US military sites. However, the actual number could be higher, with some analysts estimating that as many as 28 bases may have been hit.
The facilities analysed include US bases as well as shared military sites across the Gulf and wider region.
THAAD batteries among damaged systems
Among the most valuable hardware damaged were three advanced anti-ballistic missile battery systems at Al Ruwais and Al Sader airbases in the UAE and Muwaffaq Salti Airbase in Jordan.
The US is known to operate only eight Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, batteries around the world.
Each THAAD battery costs about $1 billion to manufacture and requires around 100 troops to operate, while each interceptor costs about $12.7 million per round.
Saudi airbase aircraft heavily hit
Iranian strikes also heavily damaged US refuelling and surveillance aircraft at Prince Sultan Airbase in Saudi Arabia. Expert analysis of satellite images showed damaged aircraft and smoking craters at the site.
One aircraft was identified by a MAIAR analyst as an E-3 Sentry surveillance plane, which US media has reported could cost up to $700 million to replace.
Kuwait bases also targeted
Iranian attacks also struck Ali Al Salem Airbase and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait.
Analysts at MAIAR identified destroyed fuel storage bunkers, aircraft hangars and troop accommodation in satellite images of Ali Al Salem Airbase. The base was reportedly hit multiple times during the conflict.
At Camp Arifjan, defence intelligence company Janes identified extensive damage to satellite communications hardware.
Pentagon cost estimate reaches $29bn
The full cost of damage to US facilities remains difficult to quantify. A May estimate by the Pentagon placed the total cost of Operation Epic Fury at $29 billion.
Much of that cost is likely linked to repair or replacement of equipment destroyed in the conflict, while Democrats have argued the figure is probably an underestimate.
The BBC report also found that at least 42 aircraft have been destroyed or damaged since February. These include F-15 and F-35 fighter jets, 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones and an A-10 attack aircraft.
Analysts noted that Iran has often relied on cheaper and more easily replaceable drones in its attacks, while US losses involve far more expensive military hardware.
Iran’s tactics shifted during war
Experts told BBC Verify that Iran’s tactics evolved over the course of the war. At first, Tehran launched large barrages of missiles designed to overwhelm air and missile defences through sheer volume.
Dr Kelly Grieco, an analyst at the US-based Stimson Center, said Iran later shifted to smaller and more precise salvos aimed at high-value targets.
She said this approach helped conserve remaining missiles and drones while concentrating fire where even near-misses could cause significant damage.
An analyst at MAIAR told BBC Verify that the US military appeared to show a degree of early-war complacency. The analyst said the US failed to move aircraft out of range of Iranian drones and missiles as Tehran’s tactics evolved.
They cited Prince Sultan Airbase as an example, noting that the facility had previously come under fire before aircraft there were destroyed.
Ceasefire under renewed strain
Khamenei’s remarks came only days before the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran came under fresh strain.
On Thursday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted an American base in the region after fresh US strikes on southern Iran.
The renewed exchange has intensified concerns that fighting could resume despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Dr Grieco warned that if the fragile US-Iran ceasefire breaks down and fighting resumes, US facilities across the Gulf could remain vulnerable.
She said the current conflict has consumed US and partner air defence stocks at a significant rate.
“There is no rapid path to replenishment,” she said, warning that any renewed Iranian assault would face only a fraction of the interceptors available when the conflict began.
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