US weighs moving Gulf military bases after Iranian strikes

WASHINGTON: The United States is considering whether to shift parts of its military presence in the Middle East farther west, with Israel among the locations being examined, after Iranian missile and drone attacks exposed vulnerabilities at bases across the Gulf, according to media and think tank assessments.

The reported strikes came after the US-Israeli bombing campaign in Iran began on Feb 28 and are said to have hit several American and allied military facilities in the region. The attacks reportedly killed 13 service members and injured hundreds, though a full official accounting of casualties and damage has not been released publicly.

Bahrain base among hardest hit

According to the Wall Street Journal, one of the installations most seriously affected was Naval Support Activity Bahrain, which hosts the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and lies about 240 kilometres south of Iran. The site suffered damage to multiple facilities, including the Fifth Fleet headquarters building, barracks, warehouses and a potable water tank.

Reporting cited in the source said damage at the Bahrain installation was estimated at about $400 million, with some of the destruction not fully disclosed by the Pentagon in public statements.

Options under discussion

The strikes have prompted deliberations inside the US administration over whether its military posture in the Gulf should be substantially adjusted. US officials cited in reporting said options being considered include moving key command functions underground at the Bahrain base, strengthening hardened facilities, and, in some cases, deciding not to reconstruct certain damaged structures.

Washington is also reviewing its military presence in other Gulf countries, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, with discussions under way on relocating some assets farther west. The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel is one of the places under early-stage consideration, and said US military aircraft have been stationed at Ben Gurion Airport since the military build-up linked to the conflict.

Wider regional damage assessments

Separate assessments have differed in detail but have pointed to broad damage to US military infrastructure in the region. The American Enterprise Institute estimated that Iranian strikes caused around $5 billion in damage across 70 structures at 11 US military installations in seven countries.

Its report said the scale and geographic spread of the damage could compel the United States not only to undertake major reconstruction work, but also to consider abandoning or relocating some exposed facilities as fixed bases face increasing risks from sustained missile and drone attacks.