Iran has caused billions in damage to US military bases in Gulf region
Iran has reportedly caused billions of dollars in damage to US military assets and bases in the Gulf region, raising questions about the Trump administration’s transparency regarding potential repair costs.
Six people with knowledge of the damage said runways, high-end radar systems, dozens of aircraft, warehouses, a command center, aircraft hangars and satellite communications infrastructure were hit by Iranian forces. NBC News.
The destruction is spreading across many countries in the Middle East and could cost up to $5 billion to repair.
The projected price tag does not include fixes for radar systems, weapons systems, aircraft and other equipment that were damaged or became unrecoverable as a result of Iran’s attacks, the source reported.
In the first few days of the war, which began with a series of US-Israeli attacks on February 28, Iran’s F-5 fighter jets inflicted the first damage on the US base Camp Buehring in Kuwait.
It was noted that there was damage to the fuel depot, health clinic, hangars and barracks, as well as other warehouses and buildings, at Al Dhafra Air Base and Al Ruwais military base in the United Arab Emirates.
Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia; Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan; and Camp Arifjan, Camp Buehring, and Port Shuaiba in Kuwait also took a toll on U.S. resources.
Three officials later told NBC News that major damage was caused to the U.S. Navy headquarters building in Bahrain and at least two air defense systems.
Repairs at the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters alone could reach $200 million, a congressional official said New York Times Following the Pentagon’s assessment.
According to NBC, an external assessment by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) shows that Iranian forces also struck Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, a runway at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, and an ammunition storage facility at a military base in Northern Iraq.
“Possible future costs of rebuilding American military infrastructure abroad as part of Epic Fury could include repair, rebuilding, complete replacement, or even abandonment/decommissioning of locales,” Mackenzie Eaglen, a senior researcher at AEI, said in a statement to the press.
“War damage also includes the estimated costs of infrastructure that could not be salvaged,” he added.
Other damaged assets include at least one fighter jet, a dozen MQ-9 Reaper aircraft, two MC-130 tankers, helicopters and an E-3 Sentry aircraft.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.
In March, the Pentagon estimated that the first six days of the war against Iran had cost more than $11.3 billion, not including calculations for necessary repairs.
A total of $5.6 billion was spent on ammunition in the first two days of the war.
The infrequency of briefings to lawmakers on the cost of military operations has sparked consternation among elected officials and their staffs.
“Nobody knows anything. And it’s not for lack of asking,” one aide told NBC.
“Even though the Pentagon wanted a record budget, we’ve been asking for weeks and haven’t gotten detailed information,” the person added.
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