ABNA24 - New York Times reports that Iran’s sustained missile and drone attacks on U.S. military facilities across the Middle East have rendered several key bases “largely unusable,” forcing personnel to disperse to temporary locations, including hotels and office spaces.
According to military personnel and U.S. officials, a significant portion of the ground forces are effectively operating remotely, except for pilots and flight crews who continue to operate and maintain combat aircraft and conduct missions.
The newspaper noted that the relocation of forces to temporary sites—described by one official as “alternatives”—raises questions about the U.S. administration’s readiness for war. U.S. military sources reported that nearly 40,000 American troops were in the region at the onset of hostilities, with the Central Command dispersing thousands of them, some to distant locations such as Europe.
Many personnel remain in the Middle East, though not at their primary bases.
Current and former military officials indicate that the result is a war that is much harder to track. Retired U.S. Air Force Special Operations Sergeant Major Wes J. Bryant said: “Yes, we can set up expedient operations centers, but you definitely lose capability. For example, you can’t put all that equipment on a hotel roof; some of it is heavy.”
Iran has responded forcefully to joint U.S. and Israeli operations. Following the deaths of the Supreme Leader and dozens of other leaders.
The newspaper added that many of the 13 U.S.-used military bases in the region are nearly uninhabitable, with Kuwaiti bases, near Iran, suffering the most damage. Six U.S. service members were killed in an attack on Shuaiba Port, which destroyed an Army tactical operations center. Iranian drones and missiles also targeted Ali Al Salem Air Base, damaging aircraft infrastructure and injuring personnel, and attacked Camp Buehring, affecting maintenance and fuel facilities. In Qatar, Iran struck Al Udeid Air Base, the U.S. Central Command’s regional air headquarters, damaging an early warning radar system. In Bahrain, an Iranian armed drone attacked communications equipment at the Fifth Fleet headquarters. At Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, Iranian missiles and drones damaged communications systems and several fuel tankers.
Early in the conflict, a drone attack by an Iraqi militia inflicted irreparable damage on a luxury hotel in Erbil. Iranian officials have even accused the U.S. of using civilians as human shields by placing personnel in hotels.
Gen. Dan Keen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged last week at a Pentagon press briefing that despite a punitive air operation, Iran “still retains some capabilities.”
The newspaper highlighted that part of the Pentagon’s challenge stems from two decades of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the U.S. quickly established air superiority and forward bases. While Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad were frequent targets of suicide bombings and attacks, neither the Taliban nor Iraqi militias possessed Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities.
During the Iraq War, the U.S. established bases in Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Now, the conflict with Iran has rendered these bases vulnerable, with military officials noting that personnel cannot safely live or operate there for extended periods.
Misjudgment of Iran’s Response
Some military officials said the lack of better planning reflects a miscalculation by the administration regarding Iran’s reaction. Before the conflict, the Trump administration did not reduce U.S. embassy staff or other personnel in the region, nor did it order nonessential government employees and families to leave. The State Department also failed to warn Americans to stay away until after hostilities began.
Two former U.S. officials involved in military operations reported that Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia had no reinforced command centers, where one service member was killed and several others injured during an attack.
Military sources also stated that U.S. refueling tankers, with little time to orient or train in the region before engaging in around-the-clock operations, faced operational risks. Two KC-135 tankers collided this month, killing six service members. Central Command stated the incident is under investigation.
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