I’ve rephrased it in a similar news style while changing the sentence structure and improving the flow. I also removed the repeated Bahrain line.
The United States is reassessing its military footprint in West Asia after Iranian missile and drone attacks inflicted far more extensive damage on American facilities than previously disclosed, including the US Navy’s only naval base in the region, according to a report.
Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain, came under repeated Iranian missile and drone attacks during the conflict in West Asia. On Sunday, Iran launched fresh strikes on American military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait shortly after the US carried out attacks inside Iran, accusing Tehran of targeting a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz despite a peace agreement being in place.
Iranian strikes severely damaged Bahrain naval base: Report
Between late February and June, Iran repeatedly targeted Naval Support Activity Bahrain, the only permanent US naval base in West Asia.
According to a Wall Street Journal investigation based on satellite imagery, social media videos and interviews with current and former US service members, several of the attacks breached air defences and caused significant destruction that has not been publicly acknowledged by the Pentagon.
The report said the command headquarters, more than a dozen buildings and two satellite communication terminals sustained heavy damage.
While the US military maintained that there were no fatalities and operations continued without major disruption, most personnel were evacuated from the base, with only a limited number remaining on site.
Washington reviewing military presence in West Asia
The reported damage to NSA Bahrain, along with attacks on more than 20 American military and diplomatic facilities across the region, has prompted the Pentagon to reconsider its long-term military deployment in West Asia, officials familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal.
The report said the US is examining plans to redesign the Bahrain base, reduce its military presence in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and relocate certain bases and operational functions farther west, beyond the range of Iran’s missiles and drones.
Officials are also considering moving key command and control facilities underground while dispersing military assets across multiple locations to reduce vulnerability. However, no final decisions have been made.
Israel has also emerged as one of the possible locations for future US military deployments, according to two officials cited in the report. During the conflict, the country hosted dozens of American aircraft, including fighter jets and aerial refuelling planes.
Reconstruction costs could reach $400 million
Last month, Pentagon Comptroller Jay Hurst informed Congress that the department’s estimated $29 billion cost of the conflict did not account for damage suffered by US military bases.
Based on publicly available Defence Department cost models and procurement records, the Wall Street Journal estimated that rebuilding the damaged facilities at NSA Bahrain alone could cost nearly $400 million.
The estimate covers only construction costs and does not include expenses such as debris removal, structural reinforcement or other related work that may be required during reconstruction.
Separately, a report released this week by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated the total cost of the conflict at around $40 billion. Of that, between $2.2 billion and $5.1 billion was attributed to damage at US military bases across the region.
The report also noted that concerns about the vulnerability of Gulf bases had been raised even before the conflict. During US President Donald Trump’s first term, officials reportedly discussed relocating some military facilities farther west, although the proposal was never implemented.
A base built before Iran’s missile capabilities evolved
The conflict highlighted the growing vulnerability of NSA Bahrain, which was established long before Iran developed its advanced precision missile and drone capabilities.
The naval base was unique among US military installations in West Asia as it allowed military families to live on site. It functioned much like a small American community, complete with restaurants, recreational facilities, a naval exchange, a school and other amenities for personnel returning from deployments.
“We’ve been there for more than 50 years, and the base grew up the way the base grew up,” retired Vice Admiral John “Fozzie” Miller, who previously commanded US naval forces in West Asia, told the Wall Street Journal.
“When I was there last time, they were having a dance party,” said Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel and senior adviser at CSIS who served at NSA Bahrain on two separate occasions.
