US weighs shifting Gulf military assets after Iranian strikes expose base vulnerabilities

WASHINGTON: The United States is considering moving parts of its military presence in the Middle East further west, potentially to Israel, after Iranian missile and drone strikes exposed vulnerabilities at forward-deployed bases across the Gulf, according to media and think tank assessments.

The reported attacks followed the start of the US-Israeli bombing campaign in Iran on Feb 28 and are said to have hit several American and allied military installations in the region.

The strikes reportedly killed 13 service members and wounded hundreds, though a full official account of casualties and damage has not been made public.

According to the Wall Street Journal, one of the key sites affected was Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain, the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, located about 240 kilometres south of Iran.

The base suffered damage to the Fifth Fleet headquarters building, barracks, warehouses and a potable water tank. Estimates cited in reporting put the damage at around $400 million.

The report said parts of the damage have not been fully acknowledged publicly by the Pentagon.

The attacks have led to discussions within the US administration over whether to reshape its military posture in the Gulf.

Options reportedly under review include moving key command centres underground at NSA Bahrain, reinforcing hardened facilities and, in some cases, not rebuilding certain damaged structures.

Washington is also reassessing its military presence in other Gulf states, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, with discussions underway on shifting some assets further west.

Israel is among the locations being examined in early-stage planning. According to the Wall Street Journal, US military aircraft have been stationed at Ben Gurion Airport since the build-up to the conflict.

The American Enterprise Institute has estimated that Iranian strikes caused about $5 billion in damage across 70 structures at 11 US military installations in seven countries.

Its assessment said the scale of the damage may force the US to consider extensive rebuilding, selective abandonment or relocation of vulnerable facilities.

The report said the growing use of missile and drone warfare against fixed bases has increased risks for US military infrastructure across the region.