American military bases and equipment in the Persian Gulf region suffered extensive damage from Iranian strikes that exceeded public acknowledgments, with repair costs projected to reach billions of dollars.

Three U.S. officials, two congressional aides, and another person familiar with the assessments revealed the full scope to NBC News. The strikes damaged runways, high-end radar systems, dozens of aircraft, warehouses, command headquarters, aircraft hangars, and satellite communications infrastructure across at least seven countries.

The destruction spans sites in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. One notable breach involved an Iranian F-5 fighter jet penetrating U.S. air defenses to strike Camp Buehring in Kuwait. An assessment by the American Enterprise Institute estimated Iran hit more than 100 targets across 11 U.S. bases, with total damage exceeding $5 billion.

The war began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites, including the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated with Operation True Promise IV, firing hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles at U.S. bases in the Gulf, such as Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and Al Dhafra in the UAE.

Early analysis showed $800 million in damage during the first two weeks, including to air-defense and satellite systems, a $485 million AN/TPY-2 radar for Thaad missile defense, and radomes at a Bahrain naval base. Strikes hit radar sites at Al Sader and Al Ruwais in the UAE, Ali Al-Salim in Kuwait, Prince Sultan in Saudi Arabia, and Al Udeid in Qatar multiple times.

A fragile ceasefire took effect on April 8, mediated by Pakistan, but tensions persist amid a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. casualties remain low at 15 soldiers killed and 538 wounded, compared to thousands in Iran.

The Pentagon has not fully disclosed the damage, prompting frustration among Republican lawmakers who cited unanswered requests for details. The Defense Department requested over $200 billion for war operations after spending more than $11 billion in the first week. Congress approved an $838.5 billion defense budget for 2026, amid President Trump's proposed $1.5 trillion increase.

Repairing the infrastructure could take years and fuel debates over the costs of U.S. presence near adversaries.