According to a special report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) based on satellite images, social media videos and interviews with American soldiers, Iranian missile attacks carried out between late February and June this year bypassed air defense systems and caused serious damage to the US naval base in Bahrain.
The report emphasized that the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) has not publicly acknowledged this damage so far. According to the WSJ analysis, the base's headquarters building and at least 12 other structures, along with two satellite communication stations, were heavily hit.
US military: No casualties
The US military, however, reported that there were no casualties at the base known as the "Bahrain Naval Support Center" and that operations were not significantly affected. The US had issued a preemptive evacuation order for most of its personnel after the start of the war against Iran on February 28, leaving only a small number of personnel at the base.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said they prioritize "protecting people at the expense of buildings." Arguing that this strategy was successful in protecting people, Hawkins said, "Iran launched more than 8,000 missiles and drones, and only two attacks resulted in American losses." Hawkins also added that the US military struck more than 13,500 Iranian targets throughout the war, inflicting far greater damage on Iran than its own forces suffered.
US presence in the region being reassessed
American officials close to the matter who spoke to the WSJ said that the extensive damage at the only US naval base in the Middle East and attacks targeting at least 20 American facilities across the region have pushed Washington to completely reassess its presence in the region.
The officials stated that the US military is currently considering ways to renovate the base in Bahrain, the possibility of reducing its presence in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and moving some bases or missions to western regions far from the range of Iranian missiles. It was noted that the military could adopt new measures regarding the damaged facilities, such as avoiding rebuilding the struck structures, moving command and control centers underground, and expanding the dispersion of military capabilities across the region.
Access to satellite images restricted
The newspaper's report stated that the Trump administration pressured satellite imagery providers in April to restrict access to satellite images revealing the extent of damage at US bases, along with other regions targeted due to the war. It was expressed that this situation made it difficult to create a complete and transparent picture of the extent of the damage. Officials, however, defended this step as a move to increase the protection of US forces in the region.
Cost of war a matter of debate
While the Pentagon has refused to clearly disclose the cost of the war against Iran to the US, this has sparked reactions from lawmakers in Congress. During a congressional session in May, when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked for a cost estimate, Hegseth responded by saying, "Well, what is the cost of Iran having a nuclear weapon?"
Pentagon's financial controller Jay Hurst, however, reported to Congress last month that the Pentagon's estimated war cost of $29 billion at that time did not include damage to US bases. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated in a report published last Tuesday that the total war cost, including damage to US bases ranging from $2.2 billion to $5.1 billion, is approximately $40 billion.
According to the WSJ's independent cost analysis, the construction cost of the National Security Agency base in Bahrain reached approximately $400 million. However, it was stated that this estimate is limited to construction expenses only and does not account for additional costs such as debris removal and structural reinforcement.
