Iran caused at least $5 billion damage to US bases: report

Iranian strikes have caused at least $5 billion in damage to US military bases across the Middle East, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation published this week that provides the most detailed public accounting yet of the destruction.

The report, drawing on satellite imagery, Iranian military statements and interviews with US officials, identified 274 damaged structures at 24 installations with an American military presence during the war’s first six months.

Journal reporters analyzed tens of thousands of images after commercial satellite providers restricted high-resolution views of regional bases early in the conflict.

The Pentagon has not publicly detailed the damage but has internally priced it at a minimum of $5 billion, according to US officials familiar with the matter.

A separate person briefed on the figures said the total could reach as high as $15 billion.

These costs are excluded from broader war spending estimates, which US Central Command has put at $47.1 billion through mid-October, largely for munitions and equipment.

A notable shift occurred after a ceasefire collapsed in July. Iran increasingly targeted buildings where American troops live and sleep, demonstrating improved ability to sequence attacks and strike with greater precision.

“Iran was taking more direct aim at the buildings that house American troops,” the Journal reported based on its analysis.

Earlier phases of the conflict also inflicted heavy damage, including repeated strikes on Naval Support Activity Bahrain, the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

Previous Journal reporting estimated reconstruction costs for that base alone at roughly $400 million.

Democratic senators, including Elizabeth Warren, have pressed the Pentagon to release official damage figures publicly, arguing that classified briefings and incomplete cost tallies leave the full financial impact unclear.

Officials have indicated some facilities may not be fully rebuilt, with potential adjustments to the US military footprint in the region under consideration.

Some US officials believe Iran has conserved advanced missiles that could enable more effective attacks if fighting intensifies