WSJ estimates cost of damage from Iranian strikes on US bases in Bahrain

Repeated Iranian attacks between late February and June caused significant damage to a US naval base in Bahrain, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing satellite imagery.

The report says the strikes destroyed the operational headquarters, around a dozen buildings, and communications terminals at the facility. Rebuilding the Bahrain base alone could cost approximately $400 million.

Analysts estimate the total damage to US military installations across the region at between $2.2 billion and $5.1 billion. A month ago, the United States Department of Defense put the cost of the conflict with Iran at $29 billion, although that figure did not include expenses related to rebuilding damaged bases. The assessment was presented to Congress by Jay Hurst.

According to the Journal, US military planners are considering a reorganization of their presence in the Gulf region, including restructuring the Bahrain base, reducing deployments in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and relocating some facilities farther west to place them beyond the reach of Iranian missiles and drones. As a result, some of the damaged facilities may not be rebuilt at all.

By Jeyhun Aghazada