Iranian strikes damaged 228 US military sites in Middle East, more than acknowledged: Report

Iranian airstrikes caused far more destruction to American military sites across the Middle East than US officials have publicly acknowledged, according to a Washington Post analysis of satellite imagery released Wednesday.

The review documented 228 damaged structures and equipment at 15 US bases, including 217 buildings and 11 military assets.

The extent of the destruction is far greater than what the US has publicly disclosed, said the Post. The White House did not immediately react to the Post's findings.

More than half of the damage occurred at the 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and three bases in Kuwait. A US official told the newspaper that those locations were hit hard probably because they permitted attacks from their territory.

The strikes destroyed Patriot missile defense systems in Bahrain and Kuwait, a satellite dish at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, and THAAD radar systems in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

An E-3 Sentry command and control aircraft was destroyed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia after being repeatedly parked on an unprotected taxiway, the Post reported. A refueling tanker was also lost.

Damage at the Naval Support Activity is "extensive," said one US official, forcing the 5th Fleet headquarters to relocate to the MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, and two other officials said forces may never return to regional bases in large numbers.