Fact check: NEW IMAGES SHOW TOLL OF IRAN WAR

Verdict: mostly true — Trust Score 75/100

The TikTok post from @abcnews is mostly true because it accurately reports that the U. S. War with Iran is in its seventh month and details significant damage to U. S. Military assets, including an attack on Prince Sultan Air Base and extensive damage to bases in Kuwait. The Pentagon's watchdog has acknowledged widespread damage and casualties. However, the exact casualty figures vary slightly across reports, and a service member's statement about irreparable damage and decades for rebuilding is an unverified opinion. The core factual assertions are confirmed by 11 sources.

Platform
tiktok
Source author
abcnews — see all fact-checks of this account
Original post
https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSqsd88Mo/
Verified on
September 17, 2026
Verification ID
b2VNsARfz2fE6fAgj8peRA

Original content reviewed

Platform: TIKTOK Author: @abcnews --- Caption/Description --- The Trump administration continues to downplay the U.S. war with Iran, as new images obtained appear to show the damage and destruction to U.S. military assets. #abcnews #news --- Audio Transcript (What was said) --- This morning, with the war in its seventh month, a rare look at the toll it's taking on American military assets in the region. ABC News, obtaining these images sent to us by active service members who we are not naming, show the extent of some of the damage. Here you see this Air Force jet blown in half. Destroyed by Iranian fire on March 27th at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Buildings torn apart. This image shows extensive damage from an Iranian attack at a U S. Army base in Kuwait, the date unclear. And at another base in Kuwait, these containerized housing units shredded. For months, Pentagon chief Pete Hegset has downplayed Iran's attacks. We have incredible air defenders. Uh, every once in a while, you might have one. Unfortunately, we call it a squatter that. That makes its way through. But the Pentagon's watchdog this week acknowledging that Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at U S. Bases and that dozens of U S. Aircraft were destroyed or damaged. Eighteen U S. Service members have been killed since the war began, over 800 wounded. One American service member who served in this war telling us, the American people are unaware of the extent of the damage that American bases are taking in. It's being kept a secret, and we're acting like it's no big deal. But, you know, there are drone strikes and ballistic missile strikes actively landing on bases every day. And that service member tells us that these bases are irreparably damaged and could take decades to rebuild, saying, quote, this is not something that's gonna be fixed in six months. Now, we have reached out to the Pentagon about these images, but, George, they are declining to com

Claims analyzed (10)

  1. verified: NEW IMAGES SHOW TOLL OF IRAN WAR
    Recent news reports from September 2026 confirm that new images have been obtained by news outlets, including CBS News, showing widespread damage to U.S. positions caused by Iranian missile and drone attacks.
  2. verified: The U.S. war with Iran is in its seventh month.
    Multiple news outlets on September 17, 2026, confirm that the U.S. war with Iran, which began on February 28, is indeed in its seventh month.
  3. verified: Images obtained by ABC News, sent by active service members, show an Air Force jet blown in half and destroyed by Iranian fire on March 27th at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
    Multiple sources confirm an Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 27, 2026, which damaged or destroyed U.S. aircraft, including an E-3 Sentry AWACS plane and refueling tankers. CBS News also reported obtaining images from service members showing a heavily damaged U.S. Air Force plane at the base.
  4. verified: An image shows extensive damage from an Iranian attack at a U.S. Army base in Kuwait.
    CBS News obtained images from service members showing extensive damage at U.S. Army bases in Kuwait, including Camp Buehring and Camp Arifjan, from Iranian missile and drone attacks.
  5. mostly true: At another base in Kuwait, containerized housing units were shredded.
    CBS News obtained images showing destroyed trailers and shredded containerized housing units at Camp Buehring in Kuwait due to Iranian strikes.
  6. verified: Pentagon chief Pete Hegset has downplayed Iran's attacks for months.
    News reports from March and September 2026 indicate that Pete Hegseth, identified as the U.S. Defense Secretary, has indeed downplayed the impact of Iranian attacks, using terms like 'squirters' to describe missiles getting through defenses.
  7. verified: The Pentagon's watchdog acknowledged this week that Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at U.S. bases and that dozens of U.S. aircraft were destroyed or damaged.
    Multiple news reports from September 15-16, 2026, confirm that the Pentagon's inspector general released a report acknowledging that Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at U.S. bases across the Middle East, and that dozens of U.S. aircraft were destroyed or damaged.
  8. mostly true: Eighteen U.S. service members have been killed since the war began, and over 800 wounded.
    As of September 16, 2026, reports indicate that 18 U.S. service members have been killed and over 800 wounded in the Iran war. Some sources cite slightly different numbers for wounded, such as 820 or 750+.
  9. verified: A U.S. service member stated that the American people are unaware of the extent of the damage American bases are taking, and it's being kept a secret.
    CBS News reported on September 15, 2026, that active service members, speaking anonymously due to military restrictions, stated that the extent of damage to U.S. bases has not been communicated to the American public.
  10. unverifiable: The service member also stated that drone strikes and ballistic missile strikes are actively landing on bases every day, and these bases are irreparably damaged and could take decades to rebuild.
    While service members have reported ongoing drone and missile strikes and extensive damage to bases, the claim that bases are 'irreparably damaged' and 'could take decades to rebuild' is a subjective assessment from a service member and not a verifiable fact from official reports.

Sources consulted (22)

Related verifications

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