WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has acknowledged that 13 U.S. military bases in the Middle East have been rendered largely uninhabitable as a result of Iranian ballistic missile strikes, with American military personnel forced to relocate and conduct operations remotely, according to a report published by The New York Times and aggregated by ZeroHedge on March 26, 2026.

Unnamed U.S. defense officials confirmed that bases in Kuwait, which borders Iran, have suffered some of the most extensive damage. Prior to the outbreak of hostilities, the Pentagon had approximately 40,000 troops stationed across the region. Many have since been dispersed to locations as far as Europe and are now managing operations from hotels and office spaces.

'So now much of the land-based military is, in essence, fighting the war while working remotely, with the exception of fighter pilots and crews operating and maintaining warplanes and conducting strikes,' The New York Times reported, citing current and former military officials who stated that 'the result is a war that is much harder to prosecute.'

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) figures cited in the reporting indicate 13 American service members have been killed and approximately 300 injured thus far. Officials noted that the scale of Iranian ballistic missile capability exceeds threats faced at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan or the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad during prior conflicts, as neither the Taliban nor Iraqi militias possessed comparable strike capabilities.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) issued a warning via state outlet Tasnim that any hotels or civilian office complexes sheltering American personnel would be considered legitimate targets. 'We are forced to identify and target the Americans,' the IRGC intelligence arm stated, calling on local Muslims to report on American locations.

Additional scrutiny has emerged over information transparency. Satellite imagery firms Planet and Vantor reportedly delayed public access to regional imagery, a decision critics argue prevented both Iranian forces from conducting battle damage assessments and the American public from independently evaluating damage to U.S. bases. Researcher Rosemary Kelanic noted the dual effect of the imagery blackout on social media platform X.

The de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz has been cited as a significant strategic complication, with analysts noting Iran's geographic advantages in sustaining long-term leverage over the conflict.