Key facts
- Iranian missile and drone attacks have caused "unprecedented damage" to U.S. intelligence facilities and surveillance equipment in the Middle East.
- The attacks damaged buildings and intelligence-gathering equipment used by the CIA and other U.S. spy agencies.
- The cost to repair or replace the damaged equipment and facilities is expected to be in the billions of dollars.
- The scale of the destruction is described as greater than any damage previously sustained by U.S. intelligence agencies.
Iranian missile and drone attacks have inflicted "unprecedented damage" on U.S. intelligence facilities and surveillance equipment across the Middle East, according to a report by NBC News citing four sources with knowledge of the matter. The strikes damaged buildings and intelligence-gathering equipment used by the CIA and other U.S. spy agencies, with repair and replacement costs expected to run into the billions of dollars. The scale of the destruction is described as greater than any damage previously sustained by U.S. intelligence agencies.
Tensions in the region have escalated since the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran in February, prompting Tehran to retaliate with strikes targeting U.S. assets in regional countries. A memorandum of understanding between Iran and the U.S., brokered by Pakistan in mid-June with the aim of ending their conflict, has reportedly broken down amid ongoing disputes over its terms and navigation through the critical Strait of Hormuz.