The US and Israel continue to attack targets in Iran, which has retaliated with missiles and drones against the Jewish state and Gulf Arab countries amid the ongoing conflict that began on February 28. Tehran’s attacks on military bases hosting US forces in the Middle East caused around $800 million (£600 million) in damage in the first two weeks of the war (International and Center for Studies report, BBC).
Iran’s retaliatory strikes have targeted US air defenses and satellite communications systems, as well as other military assets in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and various other locations in the Middle East.
Much of the damage came from a strike on a US radar linked to the Thaad missile defense system at a Jordanian air base. The AN/TPY-2 radar system is worth about $485 million, according to CSIS reviews of Defense Department budget documents. These air defense systems are designed to intercept ballistic missiles at long ranges.
Additional Iranian strikes are estimated to have caused about $310 million in damage to buildings, equipment and other infrastructure at US and US-used military bases in the region.
Satellite images analyzed by BBC Verify show that Iran has hit at least three airbases multiple times. The images show new damage at the Ali Al-Salim base in Kuwait, Al-Udeid in Qatar and Prince Sultan in Saudi Arabia at various stages of the conflict.
The first 12 days of the conflict cost the US $16.5 billion
The US has also suffered the loss of 13 soldiers since the start of the conflict.
The damage caused by Iran’s retaliatory strikes represents only a small fraction of the total cost the US has incurred in the war. Defense officials reportedly told Congress that the first six days of the conflict cost $11.3 billion, rising to $16.5 billion in the first 12 days, CSIS said.
The Pentagon is now asking for an additional $200 billion in war funding. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted on Thursday that the amount “could fluctuate”, adding: “It takes money to kill the bad guys.
According to the BBC, Mark Cancian, senior adviser to CSIS and co-author of the think tank’s study, said: “Damage at US bases in the region has not been reported. Although it appears to be extensive, the full amount will not be known until more information is available.”
The US and Iran are warning each other
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said Iran has 48 hours “from now” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face US strikes on its power plants.
In a Truth Social post late Saturday, Trump demanded that Iran reopen the key shipping lane “fully open, without threat,” reflecting mounting pressure to restore passage through the strait and ease rising oil and gas prices.
Hours later, Iran’s military warned that if its fuel and energy facilities were attacked, it would retaliate by targeting US and Israeli energy, information technology and desalination infrastructure across the region, according to reports by Tasnim and Iranian state media.
