Iran has caused ‘billions’ in damage to American intelligence assets, report says

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Iran has caused “billions” of dollars in damage to U.S. intelligence infrastructure, according to a new report, which comes as the war continues to drag on with no clear end in sight . Iranian drones and missiles have struck “intelligence posts and surveillance hardware in the Middle East that is more extensive than any destruction America’s spy agencies have endured,” NBC News reported, citing four unnamed sources. The damage is expected to cost billions to repair. A CIA station in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia , was struck by Iranian drones in March, Reuters reported last month. A separate CIA facility in eastern Iraq was also targeted. Sources told NBC that additional sites had been hit but declined to provide further details. U.S. officials have also investigated whether Russia supplied Iran with drone technology or targeting information. open image in gallery Iran has caused 'billions' in damage to US 'intelligence posts and surveillance hardware,' according to a new report. Pictured: US warships operating in the Middle East in July ( Department of Defense ) The Independent has contacted the White House and Office of the Director of National Intelligence for comment. The Pentagon has acknowledged that the war — which began when the United States and Israel jointly attacked Iran in late February — has already cost the U.S. tens of billions of dollars. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress last month that the conflict had cost $37.5 billion , while arguing that an additional $67 billion was needed. The first six days of the war alone cost more than $11.3 billion , Pentagon officials reportedly told lawmakers in March. The U.S. military has expended nearly all of its stockpiled, long-range precision missiles, CBS News reported this month. President Donald Trump has insisted that the U.S. still maintains “massive amounts” of weapons. But he reportedly confronted Hegseth earlier this month over the apparent shortage, saying he believed the problem “ had been fixed .” open image in gallery Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump attend the dignified transfer of four US service members killed in the Middle East at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware ( AP ) The broader U.S. economy has also been impacted, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz triggering spikes in global fuel prices . On Wednesday, the national average price of gasoline stood at $4.10 per gallon, up from $2.98 in the days before the war began, according to AAA. Beyond the monetary and munitions costs, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of 18 U.S. service members and wounded hundreds more, the Pentagon has said. Iran, meanwhile, has suffered extensive damage. The U.S. has said it has targeted more than 13,000 locations across the Middle Eastern country, launching waves of strikes over several consecutive nights. “The navy’s gone, the air force is gone, the leadership is gone,” Trump said during an interview this month . The deaths of Iranian leaders had also complicated diplomacy, he said, because “nobody knows who’s leading.” On Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled new sanctions against Iran after Trump vowed to impose an “economic D-Day.” Iran’s currency, the rial, fell to a record low against the U.S. dollar ahead of the measures. open image in gallery Motorists drive past a large billboard pledging revenge against President Donald Trump in central Tehran on July 27 ( AFP/Getty ) Thousands of people in Iran have been killed during the months-long conflict, according to HRANA, a U.S.-based human rights organization. Nearly six months into the war, there is still no clear end in sight with multiple diplomatic efforts having failed. Control of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a major sticking point. Recent polling suggests that the war remains broadly unpopular in the U.S. According to an AP-NORC survey released in late July, just 28 percent of American adults approved of Trump’s handling of Iran, down from 34 percent the previous month.