US military bases and equipment in the Persian Gulf have been hit much harder by recent Iranian strikes than initially reported, according to several US officials and people familiar with the situation.
The extent of the destruction is much greater than what has been publicly shared so far and the repair is expected to cost billions of dollars, the officials told NBC News.
Iran has carried out strikes across several countries in the region since the war began on February 28. These attacks hit important military sites in at least seven countries, including storage warehouses, command centres where operations are managed, aircraft hangars, and systems used for satellite communication.
It also damaged runways, radar systems, and even some aircraft, which are all critical for military movement and surveillance. In one case, even an older Iranian F-5 fighter jet was able to get through and carry out a strike despite powerful US air defence systems.
The US Defence Department has not shared full details about how much damage was actually caused by the Iranian strikes. Even the US Central Command, which handles military operations in that region, refused to comment on the extent of the damage.
Some Republican lawmakers are angered and frustrated over the lack of transparency. One aide even said that despite asking for weeks, they still don’t know the full picture, especially at a time when the Pentagon is asking for a record-high budget.
“No one knows anything. And it’s not for lack of asking. We have been asking for weeks and not getting specifics, even as the Pentagon is asking for a record high budget,” he said.
The Pentagon is reportedly seeking over $200 billion from the US Congress to fund Trump’s war choice in Iran. In just the first week of the conflict, the US had already spent over $11 billion on its military operations.
Before the war began, Trump had called for a $1.5 trillion defence budget, a more than 50 per cent increase from the previous year. The US Congress has already approved a $838.5 billion defence budget for 2026.