Iran's Strikes On US Assets In Middle East Has Cost $800 Million: Report

While the full scale of damage to US assets in the Gulf region is unclear, the $800 million figure offers insight into what a prolonged conflict may cost the US.

22 Mar 2026, 05:45 · NDTV

Show
Quick Read
Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed

Iranian airstrikes caused $800 million damage to US military bases in two weeks of conflict: Study
Damage due to from Tehran's retaliation after US and Israel airstrikes on February 28
Radar and satellite systems at bases in Jordan, UAE, and Gulf states were heavily targeted

Did our AI summary help?
Let us know.
Switch To Beeps Mode
New Delhi:

Iranian airstrikes on military bases used by the US in the Middle East have caused $800 million in damage -- about Rs 75 crore -- in the first two weeks of the war, an analysis by the BBC has found.

A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a US-based think tank, and BBC's analysis found that much of this damage was caused in Tehran's retaliatory strikes in the week after the US and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on February 28.

While the full scale of damage to US assets in the Gulf region is unclear, the $800 million figure offers insight into what a prolonged conflict may cost the US.

"The damage to US bases in the region has been underreported," a BBC report quoted Mark Cancian, co-author of the CSIS study, as saying. "Although that appears to be extensive, the full amount won't be known until more information is available."

When the BBC reached out to the US Department of Defense, they were referred to the Central Command. Officials there declined to comment.

Iran has targeted US air-defence and satellite-communication systems in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and other countries in the Gulf. The radar for a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system at a US air base in Jordan suffered heavy damage. This radar system costs approximately $485 million, a CSIS review of defence department budget documents found.

The damage to buildings and other infrastructure at US air bases in the Middle East has cost Washington DC an additional $310 million in estimated damage, the study has found.

BBC's analysis of satellite imagery has found that Iran struck at least three air bases more than once. Satellite imagery shows the Ali Al-Salim base in Kuwait, Al-Udeid in Qatar and Prince Sultan in Saudi Arabia with fresh damage during different phases of the conflict.

The US has also lost 13 military service members since the war began, and the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates the death toll has reached nearly 3,200, 1,400 of them civilians.

Trump has said the US is on track to achieve its goal of destroying Iran's nuclear programme. "We're doing extremely well in Iran," he said.

Tehran has retaliated with airstrikes and by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 per cent of global oil supplies flow. The blockade has sparked energy security concerns and raised uncertainty over the duration of the conflict. It has led to speculation on whether Trump will deploy ground troops to unblock the Strait.

Analysis of US military installations targeted by Iran shows that radar and satellite systems have been a focus. Following Iranian strikes at a US naval base in Bahrain, satellite imagery showed the destruction of two radomes - protective enclosures for sensitive equipment. The BBC report says it is 'highly probable" that the systems were damaged. The analysis, the report said, was hampered by restrictions on US-based providers on releasing satellite imagery.

Radar sites were hit at Camp Arifjan, a US base in Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan Air Base, where US aircraft are parked. Imagery of the Prince Sultan Air Base shows smoke rising from a radar component for a Thaad system.

The BBC report said that its analysis of satellite images shows extensive damage to Thaad systems at US bases in the UAE and Jordan, but it is not clear what the cost of that damage was. Owing to the damage, the US had to redeploy Thaad components from South Korea to the Middle East.

Officials from the US Department of Defense have reportedly briefed members of the Congress that the first six days of the war cost $11.3 billion. The first 12 days cost $16.5 billion, according to CSIS.

The Pentagon is asking for another $200 billion in war funding. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the figure "could move". "It takes money to kill bad guys," he said.

Show full article

Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world