Iranian strikes damaged 274 facilities at 24 U.S. bases in the region

A Wall Street Journal analysis based on satellite imagery found that Iranian strikes damaged 274 facilities at 24 bases hosting U.S. troops during the first six months of the war. The Pentagon estimates the damage at no less than $5 billion, with the figure potentially reaching $15 billion.

An analysis published by The Wall Street Journal, based on satellite imagery, Iranian military data and interviews with U.S. officials, found that Iranian missiles and drones damaged 274 facilities at 24 military bases hosting U.S. troops in the Middle East during the first six months of the war, which began on February 28.

According to U.S. officials cited by the newspaper, the Pentagon estimates that damage to the bases cost at least $5 billion, while a person familiar with the estimates said the figure could reach $15 billion. The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, which reviewed the newspaper’s findings, estimated that rebuilding the damaged buildings alone would cost more than $4 billion, excluding the equipment and systems inside them.

The investigation found that Iran increasingly targeted buildings where U.S. troops lived, demonstrating a greater ability to organize attacks and strike targets accurately. One of the most heavily damaged sites was Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, where an Iranian strike on July 17 killed three U.S. service members and damaged at least 19 buildings, including facilities used to house troops.

A KC-135 refueling aircraft prepares to land at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan (archive photo)

The repair costs come on top of the war’s overall cost, which had reached $47.1 billion by October 16, according to a document reviewed by the newspaper. According to U.S. Defense Department data, more than 20 U.S. service members were killed in war-related activities and more than 400 were wounded before the temporary ceasefire collapsed in July. After that, the government stopped publishing conflict-specific casualty figures.

An earlier Associated Press analysis concluded that Iranian strikes initially focused on early-warning systems before targeting aircraft and buildings. By August, more than 115 drone or missile strikes claimed by Iran or Iran-backed factions had damaged facilities at 26 bases and other sites containing U.S. equipment.

Iranian strikes damaged 274 facilities at 24 U.S. bases in the region