Iranian strikes have damaged hundreds of buildings at military installations hosting US forces across the Middle East, potentially adding billions of dollars to the cost of the war, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
An analysis of satellite imagery found that 274 structures at 24 installations with a US military presence sustained damage during the war's first six months.
Among the hardest-hit sites was Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, where an Iranian strike on July 17 killed three American service members and damaged at least 19 buildings, including facilities where troops sleep.
The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that rebuilding the damaged structures alone would cost more than $4 billion, excluding the replacement of equipment and systems inside the buildings.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has put the damage to US military bases at a minimum of $5 billion, with estimates potentially reaching $15 billion, according to US officials cited by the Journal.
These expenses come on top of the estimated $47.1 billion cost of the war as of October 16, the report said.
Beyond the financial burden, the destruction has raised concerns over the safety of military personnel, with more than 20 US servicemembers killed and over 400 wounded since the conflict began February 28.
Opposition Democrats in the US have accused the Trump administration of deliberately low-balling figures on the cost of the war, from casualties to its budgetary and wider financial costs.
