U.S. military bases in the Middle East sustained over $5 billion in damage and more than 100 hits across 11 installations from Iranian strikes in February 2026, according to an American Enterprise Institute assessment reported by NBC News — far exceeding what Trump administration officials have publicly stated. The article cites satellite imagery blackouts requested by the White House, a breach of U.S. air defenses by an Iranian F-5 fighter jet, and Republican congressional frustration over lack of transparency as evidence the administration downplayed the extent of damage. The framing as a deliberate 'cover-up' is contested — the Pentagon attributes information restrictions to operational security rather than deception — but the underlying damage figures come from credible sources and are corroborated across outlets.