Iranian missile and drone strikes have inflicted billions of dollars in damage on US military installations across the Middle East, damaging hundreds of buildings and critical military systems, forcing troop evacuations and exposing major vulnerabilities in Washington’s regional military network, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of satellite imagery and US officials.
The Pentagon has estimated damage to American military facilities at a minimum of $5 billion, with a separate assessment putting the figure as high as $15 billion. The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that rebuilding damaged buildings alone would cost more than $4 billion, excluding the replacement of equipment and internal systems.
The scale of the destruction highlights the impact of Iran’s sustained missile and drone campaign, which began after the US-Israeli aggression erupted on February 28 and continued despite repeated US claims that Iranian military capabilities had been largely destroyed.
During the first two weeks of the imposed-war, Iranian retaliatory strikes damaged at least 119 buildings across 13 US military installations, mostly in Kuwait, according to satellite imagery reviewed by the Journal. Naval Support Activity Bahrain, headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, was among the hardest-hit facilities, forcing the evacuation of most personnel.
The attacks also damaged critical infrastructure protecting American installations, including more than 15 radar, missile-defense and communications components.
The destruction was accompanied by significant casualties. More than 20 US service members have died in incidents related to the war, while more than 400 were wounded before casualty reporting specific to the conflict was suspended following the temporary ceasefire.
Iran’s targeting strategy became increasingly focused on facilities housing American troops after the ceasefire collapsed on July 7. On July 17, an Iranian strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan killed three US service members and damaged at least 19 buildings used to accommodate personnel.
Satellite imagery also revealed damage to smaller buildings at several other installations, indicating a shift toward more precise targeting of troop accommodation and other facilities.
The sustained attacks forced Washington to relocate additional personnel, including large-scale evacuations from Camp Buehring and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. US officials have also considered moving military infrastructure farther from Iran’s reach and reducing the American presence at installations in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has faced criticism over its limited disclosure of the damage, with lawmakers demanding public estimates of the financial costs.
Iran, meanwhile, has continued restoring damaged military infrastructure and recovering buried missile stockpiles, raising further concerns in Washington about its strike capabilities.