With next week’s United Nations General Assembly approaching, President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran appears willing to negotiate, while suggesting the conflict could be nearing its conclusion. Speaking to reporters in North Carolina, Trump said he hoped the United States was “toward the end of the war” and that Iranian officials “want to make a deal.” He also denied that intermediaries were facilitating talks, saying Washington was communicating with Tehran “directly.” The comments came as Iranian attacks reportedly caused extensive damage at US military facilities across the Middle East. Images obtained by ABC News show wrecked buildings and a damaged aircraft at three major US installations in Kuwait, as well as a Saudi base holding critical assets. Some equipment was reportedly evacuated on short notice as officials sought to protect it from further strikes.
US bases hit across eight countries
According to the Defense Department inspector general’s initial report to Congress on Operation Epic Fury, US Central Command recorded attacks on American bases in eight countries: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan. The report estimated equipment losses could reach $3.7 billion, including damage to nearly 60 aircraft, CBS News reported. The administration has repeatedly emphasized the destruction caused by US attacks on Iran, but has provided considerably less information about casualties and damage affecting US forces and facilities. Trump has defended the campaign as necessary to stop Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon and has claimed Iranian forces have sustained devastating losses.
Photos show damage beyond Iran
“Iran is officially a Failed Nation,” Trump wrote on Truth Social last month, asserting that the country had “no Navy” or “no Air Force” and that its leadership was in “total disarray.” The damage documented in recent reports, however, illustrates the cost borne by US forces as well. Iranian strikes have reportedly hit additional American positions in the region. CBS News said last week that an attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan damaged several US aircraft, including an A-10 Thunderbolt whose wing was destroyed.
Regional forces stay on high alert
About eight F-15 fighter jets sustained less serious damage and were later returned to service, according to sources familiar with the incident. Prince Sultan Air Base has also faced significant attacks in the past. Meanwhile, tensions remain elevated across the region. US naval forces, including the USS George Washington operating in the Arabian Sea, continue patrols near the Strait of Hormuz, while the advance of Houthi forces along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline is raising fresh concerns about disruptions to global shipping and energy supplies. The Daily Mail contacted the Pentagon for comment but had not received an immediate response.
