Report used satellite images and US, Gulf sources, saying most US military sites in region were hit
This UGC image posted on social media on March 29, 2026 and verified by AFP staff appears to show a destroyed US Air Force Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, primarily used for air traffic control, in the aftermath of a projectile strike at Prince Sultan Airbase in Saudi Arabia. (UGC / AFP)
Iran and its allies struck no fewer than 16 United States military sites in eight countries across the Middle East in the latest military conflict, leaving some of them “virtually unusable”, CNN reported on Friday, citing sources.
The report was based on dozens of satellite images and interviews with sources from the US and Gulf Arab countries, and the affected facilities make up the “majority of US military positions” in the region.
“There has been a spectrum of assessments,” one source said. “From a pretty dramatic side, of the whole facility is destroyed and needs to be shut down, to leaders who say these things are worth repairing due to the strategic benefit they give the US.”
Satellite images showed that Tehran’s main targets included advanced radar systems, communications systems and aircraft. Many of those assets are expensive and difficult to replace.
Read More: Iran standoff could leave Trump worse off than before he went to war
“It’s notable they really identified those facilities as the most cost-effective targets to hit,” the source said. “Our radar systems [are] our most expensive and our most limited resources in the region.”
New CNN Investigation:
At least 16 American military sites have been damaged in Iranian strikes, making up the majority of US positions in the Middle East.
From CNN’s @tamaraqiblawi and the Investigations team. pic.twitter.com/RoIHrI0Bhr
— CNN International PR (@cnnipr) May 1, 2026
On Wednesday, Pentagon comptroller Jules “Jay” Hurst III told lawmakers that the war in Iran has cost the US about $25 billion so far. However, a source later told CNN that the actual figure was likely closer to $40-50b.
The war is currently on hold and efforts to end it permanently continue. US President Donald Trump on Friday said, “Iran isn’t coming through with the kind of deal that we have to have.”
