WSJ: Iranian strikes damaged 274 structures across 24 US military sites in the Middle East; damage estimated at $5–15 billion
WASHINGTON — A Wall Street Journal investigation, based on satellite imagery, Iranian military statements and interviews with US officials, found that Iranian missile and drone strikes damaged at least 274 structures across 24 US military installations in the Middle East during the war’s first six months. At least 119 buildings at 13 installations were damaged…
WASHINGTON — A Wall Street Journal investigation, based on satellite imagery, Iranian military statements and interviews with US officials, found that Iranian missile and drone strikes damaged at least 274 structures across 24 US military installations in the Middle East during the war’s first six months.
At least 119 buildings at 13 installations were damaged in the first two weeks alone, mostly in Kuwait. The affected facilities included radars, aircraft hangars, command centres, warehouses, communications systems, fuel infrastructure, air-defence systems and troop housing.
Among the hardest-hit locations was Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, where an Iranian strike on July 17 killed three US service members and damaged at least 19 buildings, including troops’ living quarters. The US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain was also heavily damaged.
The Pentagon estimates the base damage at a minimum of $5 billion, while figures cited by the Journal suggest the total could reach $15 billion. The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates rebuilding the damaged structures alone would cost more than $4 billion, excluding equipment and systems inside them.
