On February 28, Iran launched a series of attacks on American installations in Arab countries (especially Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain) in response to joint attacks by the United States and Israel, destroying them.
The American newspaper Wall Street Journal has revealed in its report that after suffering heavy military losses in Iranian missile and drone attacks in Arab countries, the United States has decided to move some of its military bases and installations in the Middle East.
The report states that the United States will now move these military bases to Western countries and is also considering moving some of its military installations to Israel in order to maintain its presence in the region.
The report states that Iran had targeted American military installations in the Arab region in response to the American and Israeli airstrikes that began on February 28, killing 13 American personnel and injuring hundreds.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the US Navy’s only regional base in Bahrain, Naval Support Activity Bahrain, suffered about $400 million in damage in the Iranian attacks, but the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) has not made full details of this damage public.
The report estimates US military losses based on satellite images, social media content and official construction cost estimates, but the actual damage could be even higher because it does not include the cost of sensitive military equipment and communication systems destroyed.
According to the report, according to the US think tank CSIS, the value of the two satellite communication terminals destroyed by Iran at the beginning of the war was about $40 million.
The US newspaper report said that the Iranian attacks affected the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet, military barracks, several warehouses and a drinking water storage facility, but there were no casualties at the base.
According to the Wall Street Journal, instead of rebuilding the Bahrain base, US officials are considering options such as moving command centers underground and not rebuilding some of the damaged buildings.
According to US officials, it may also limit its military presence in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia because Iran has also targeted US military installations in those two countries.
The report states that instead, a proposal to transfer some of the US military assets to Israel is being considered. Dozens of US warplanes stationed at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport before the Iran war are still there.
On the other hand, US President Donald Trump is facing criticism at home and even within his own Republican party due to the heavy costs of the war with Iran.
Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz also caused a significant increase in global energy prices.
According to the report, US Secretary of Defense Pat Hegseth is trying to obtain approximately $80 billion in additional funds to restore defense capabilities after the war.
Meanwhile, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between the United States and Iran last week, under which 60-day negotiations have begun to ease tensions.
However, Israel is not a party to the agreement, and Israeli officials have criticized it, saying that it does not include any clear concessions regarding Iran’s nuclear program, while it also calls for a halt to Israeli operations against Hezbollah.