Iranian strikes have inflicted significant damage on hundreds of buildings at military installations hosting US forces across the Middle East, a development that could add billions of dollars to the cost of the ongoing conflict, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
An analysis of satellite imagery revealed that 274 structures at 24 installations with a US military presence sustained damage during the first six months of the war.
Among the most severely affected locations was Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. On July 17, an Iranian strike at this base resulted in the deaths of three American service members and damaged at least 19 buildings, including facilities where troops sleep.
The financial implications are substantial. The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated that rebuilding the damaged structures alone would exceed $4 billion, a figure that does not include the cost of replacing equipment and systems within those buildings. Separately, the Pentagon has assessed the damage to US military bases at a minimum of $5 billion, with some estimates reaching as high as $15 billion, according to US officials cited by the Journal.
These new expenses come in addition to the war's estimated cost of $47.1 billion as of October 16.
Beyond the financial burden, the destruction has heightened concerns regarding the safety of military personnel. Since the conflict began on February 28, more than 20 US servicemembers have been killed and over 400 wounded.
Opposition Democrats in the US have criticized the Trump administration, accusing it of deliberately understating figures related to the war's costs, encompassing both casualties and its wider budgetary and financial impacts.
