Iran Sought To Blind, Not Kill US Forces: NBC Report

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) New Delhi- Iran inflicted more extensive damage on U.S. and allied military bases across the Middle East than publicly disclosed, focusing on critical infrastructure rather than personnel in a coordinated campaign, NBC News reported, citing U.S. officials and congressional aides familiar with internal assessments.

The strikes, carried out after the escalation that began on Feb. 28 involving U.S. and Israeli operations, hit at least 11 military installations across six countries, according to the report. Targets included satellite communications systems, radar protection structures, fuel storage facilities, aircraft hangars, runways and other operational nodes essential to U.S. force projection in the region.

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According to officials cited by NBC, the pattern of attacks suggested Tehran was seeking to disrupt military functionality rather than cause mass casualties. Facilities linked to command-and-control, surveillance and logistics were repeatedly targeted, in what analysts described as a“precision degradation” campaign.

Iran was not trying to kill Americans, but to blind them, ground them, and cut off their fuel, they said.

Among the sites affected was the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, where satellite communications systems were struck. In Kuwait, Camp Arifjan sustained multiple hits to radar protection infrastructure. At Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, fuel depots, hangars and barracks were damaged in a series of strikes, while a runway at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar - the largest U.S. base in the Middle East - was also targeted.

Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia was among the installations hit, with officials cited in the report saying aerial refuelling aircraft were destroyed on the ground.

NBC reported that Iranian strikes reached facilities in at least seven countries, underscoring the geographic breadth of the campaign. The Pentagon has not publicly detailed the full extent of the damage, and U.S. Central Command declined to comment on battle damage assessments.

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Some Republican lawmakers have privately expressed frustration over the lack of transparency from defence officials.“No one knows anything. And it's not for lack of asking,” a congressional aide was quoted as saying, adding that repeated requests for detailed damage assessments and repair costs have gone unanswered.

The report said repair costs are expected to run into billions of dollars, potentially fuelling debate in Washington over the risks and costs of maintaining forward-deployed bases within range of Iranian missile and drone capabilities.

Officials cited in the report also pointed to the sophistication of Iran's targeting. The use of high-resolution satellite imagery enabled identification of specific assets, including aircraft positions, fuel infrastructure and sensitive operational facilities, allowing for precise strikes across multiple locations.

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Despite the damage, U.S. officials have maintained that overall air superiority was not compromised and that operations have continued. However, the attacks highlighted vulnerabilities in defending widely distributed infrastructure against sustained, lower-cost missile and drone threats.

The exchanges also exposed a widening cost imbalance. Intercepting incoming projectiles relies on expensive air defence systems, while the offensive systems used by Iran are comparatively cheaper, raising concerns among analysts about the long-term sustainability of such engagements.

The United States has since moved additional munitions and equipment from Europe to reinforce its Middle East posture, according to the report.

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