Iranian strikes damage at least 17 US sites across Middle East: Report

ISTANBUL

At least 17 US military, diplomatic and air defense sites across the Middle East have been damaged by Iranian drone and missile strikes since the start of joint attacks against Iran by Israel and Washington, a New York Times analysis found Wednesday.

At least 11 of the damaged sites are military bases or installations, representing nearly half of all such American facilities in the region.

Air defense systems have been among the costliest losses, with satellite imagery showing damage to a $1.1 billion early-warning radar near Umm Dahal, Qatar, designed to provide coverage across a 4,800-kilometer (3,000-mile) radius.

Iran has also struck components of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, known as THAAD, according to the analysis.

A Pentagon assessment put damage to the US Navy Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, struck Feb. 28, at around $200 million, according to a congressional official cited by the newspaper.

Iran also targeted US diplomatic facilities, forcing temporary closures of the consulate in Dubai and embassies in Kuwait City and Riyadh. No injuries were reported in any of those strikes.

US officials told the news outlet that strikes show Iran was more prepared for the war than many in the Trump administration had anticipated.

The escalation in the Middle East flared since Israel and the US launched a joint attack against Iran on Feb. 28, reportedly killing more than 1,200 victims to date, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Approximately 140 US service members have been wounded, with eight killed, since the beginning of the campaign in Iran's retaliatory attacks.