US military bases and equipment in the Persian Gulf have been hit much harder by recent Iranian strikes than initially reported, according to several US officials and people familiar with the situation. The extent of the destruction is much greater than what has been publicly shared so far and the repair is expected to cost billions of dollars, the officials told NBC News. Iran has carried out strikes across several countries in the region since the war began on February 28. These attacks hit important military sites in at least seven countries, including storage warehouses, command centres where operations are managed, aircraft hangars, and systems used for satellite communication. It also damaged runways, radar systems, and even some aircraft, which are all critical for military movement and surveillance. In one case, even an older Iranian F-5 fighter jet was able to get through and carry out a strike despite powerful US air defence systems.