According to a special report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) based on satellite imagery, social media videos, and interviews with American soldiers, Iranian missile attacks carried out between late February and June this year bypassed air defense systems at the US naval base in Bahrain and caused serious damage.
The report emphasized that the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) has not publicly acknowledged this damage so far. According to the WSJ's analysis, the base's headquarters building, at least 12 other structures, and 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" in the Iranian attacks and that operations were not significantly affected. The US had issued a preemptive evacuation order for most of its personnel after the war with Iran began on February 28, leaving only a small number of personnel at the base.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) Spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins said they prioritize "protecting people at the expense of buildings." Hawkins, who argued that this strategy succeeded in protecting people, said, "Iran launched more than 8,000 missiles and drones, and only two attacks resulted in American casualties." Hawkins added that the US military struck more than 13,500 Iranian targets throughout the war, inflicting much greater damage on Iran than the damage suffered by its own forces.
US presence in the region under reassessment
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 fully reassess its presence in the region.
The officials stated that the US military is currently considering ways to rebuild the base in Bahrain, the possibility of reducing its presence in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and moving some bases or missions to western areas beyond the range of Iranian missiles. They added that the military may adopt new measures regarding the damaged facilities, such as avoiding rebuilding the struck structures, moving command and control centers underground, and expanding the spread of military capabilities across the region.
Access to satellite images restricted
The newspaper's report said that the Trump administration in April pressured satellite imagery providers to restrict access to satellite images revealing the extent of damage at US bases, along with other areas targeted due to the war. This made it difficult to form a complete and transparent picture of the extent of the damage. Officials, however, defended the move as a step to enhance the protection of US forces in the region.
War cost becomes subject of debate
While the Pentagon refuses to clearly disclose the cost of the war against Iran to the US, this has sparked a reaction from lawmakers in Congress. During a congressional session in May, when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked for a cost estimate, Hegseth responded by asking, "What is the cost of Iran having a nuclear weapon?"
Last month, Pentagon comptroller Jay Hurst told Congress that the estimated war cost, which the Pentagon had set at $29 billion at the time, did not include damage at US bases. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated in a report published last Tuesday that the total war cost, including damage at US bases ranging between $2.2 billion and $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, the analysis noted that this estimate is limited only to construction expenses and does not account for additional costs such as debris removal and structural reinforcement.
