Iranian strikes have damaged most US bases in the Gulf states

With its relentless assault, Iran itself has done a commendable job of clearing its neighbourhood of American presence.

Iranian retaliatory strikes on US bases in the Persian Gulf have caused unprecedented destruction, a new investigation has revealed.

The Gulf states hosting these bases have been tight-lipped about the damage they have sustained from Iranian strikes. However, a CNN report has provided details on the beating these bases took during the illegal, unprovoked war imposed on Iran by the Israelis and Americans. The American broadcaster said that it had “found evidence of unprecedented destruction” during its investigation, adding that some of these bases have become “virtually unusable.”

“At least 16 US installations across eight countries were damaged, representing the majority of American military positions in the region. Some of these bases are now virtually unusable,” the CNN report says.

“According to a US source familiar with the situation, the scale and precision of these attacks are unlike anything previously seen at American bases. The strikes were rapid, targeted, and used advanced technology.”

Iran attacked high-value targets in its retaliatory fire and exacted a steep cost from the Americans for their criminal endeavour. “Iran focused on high-value targets,” the report states. “These included multi-million-dollar aircraft like the Boeing E-3 Sentry, which provides critical surveillance over the Gulf and is worth nearly half a billion dollars today.”

Moreover, the Iranian focus on hitting communications infrastructure has severely damaged the ability of these bases to anticipate incoming projectiles, effectively turning them into sitting ducks when the new round of fighting resumes. “Large dome-like structures known as radomes, which protect satellite dishes essential for data transmission, were heavily hit,” the report adds. “In one area, all but one radome was destroyed within less than a month.”

“Radar systems were another major target. These systems are highly sophisticated, expensive, and difficult to replace, yet are essential for air defence. A US congressional aide described them as some of the most cost-effective targets for Iran to strike, given their importance and limited availability.”

The Iranian assault on these bases in its vicinity was entirely predictable. The Iranian leadership had explicitly stated that a war on Iran would turn into a regional conflict and that none of the American bases in the region would remain safe. That is exactly how the 40-day war panned out before a fragile ceasefire came into effect on April 8. Unlike their restrained response during the June war last year, Iranians made sure to hit nearly all the American bases used to wage war against them.

The Iranian response has revealed that the American presence in Arabia is no guarantee of security to the Persian Gulf states. Instead, these bases make them vulnerable and potentially put civilians at risk of being caught in the crossfire.

“For US allies in the region, this creates a difficult situation,” the CNN report notes. “On one hand, Iran’s show of force highlights the continued need for American military presence to maintain Gulf security. On the other hand, it exposes a new reality: US bases, once considered strongholds, are now vulnerable and easily targeted.”

As I have written earlier, it was nothing but folly for the Gulf regimes to think that they would ever be an American concern ahead of Israel. The American focus on protecting the genocidal Israeli state ahead of its Gulf vassals — which have recently promised trillions of dollars in investment in the US and even given Trump a $400 million luxury jet — has now made it abundantly clear that their interests will never be an American priority ahead of Israel.

The humiliation of Arab Zionists

“A Saudi source noted that the conflict has revealed a key shift — the long-standing alliance with the United States is no longer seen as exclusive or fully reliable,” the CNN report added. However, with their armed forces almost entirely reliant on American hardware and physical presence on their soils, it is difficult to see how the Gulf monarchies could make alternative arrangements for their protection.

In its 10-point ceasefire plan, one of Iran’s demands was the withdrawal of all US combat forces from West Asia. While it is unlikely that America will pay any attention to this Iranian demand, Iran has, through its relentless assault, done a commendable job of clearing its neighbourhood of American presence.

Remarkably, propagandists of the Gulf regimes have been busy attempting to dupe average Muslims into thinking that Iranians have been attacking their neighbouring Muslim states for no reason. Their talking points elide the presence of these forward bases and how they have been used to mount attacks on Iran in an illegal, unprovoked war that killed at least 165 children on the very first day and has gone on to kill thousands more, laying waste to billions of dollars’ worth of civilian infrastructure and rendering tens of thousands of civilians homeless.

In the absence of any acknowledgment from the Gulf monarchies, this latest report shows a precise, devastating Iranian audit of American overreach, proving that the promise of security offered by these bases is hollow, purchased at the exorbitant cost of regional stability, the lives of countless civilians, and self-respect.

This latest round of aggression against Iran is not over by any means; the extensive troop build-up in the region is a clear indication that the next round of fighting will inevitably resume. Whenever that happens, Iranians will have given themselves a significant boost by taking out a majority of the bases used to mount attacks against them — and will have made the Gulf monarchies even more vulnerable by decapitating their supposed security guarantor.

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