WASHINGTON, May 6. /TASS/. Iran has damaged or destroyed at least 228 US military facilities in the Middle East, and US authorities are not openly acknowledging the true scale of the damage, The Washington Post (WP) reported upon analysis of satellite imagery.

According to the publication, Iran struck hangars, barracks, fuel depots, radars, communication systems and air defense equipment during its airstrikes. Due to the threat of air strikes, the US cannot fully operate its bases in the region. The newspaper's sources stressed that at the beginning of the operation, most personnel were relocated to other facilities outside the range of Iranian missiles.

Experts who spoke with the newspaper believe that the US military underestimated Iran’s ability to guide strike systems onto targets, failed to adapt to defense against modern UAVs, and did not provide sufficient protection for a number of bases. According to them, Iran’s strikes did not have a significant impact on the ability of the US armed forces to conduct bombings.

For its investigation, the newspaper used satellite images released by Iran. The newspaper concluded that it found no signs of image editing. US companies Vantor and Planet, specializing in satellite imagery, restricted access to images of the region taken during the US operation in Iran at the request of the US government, WP noted.