At least a dozen US military bases across the Gulf region have been severely damaged in Iran’s retaliatory strikes following attacks by the United States and Israel, according to a report published on April 10, 2026. The damage is described as so extensive that the bases have become more of a liability than an asset for US forces. The New York Times previously reported that the affected installations were nearly uninhabitable, though the Trump administration has not acknowledged the extent of the losses.

Mark Lynch, director of the Project on Middle East Political Science at George Washington University, stated during the Arab Center Washington DC’s annual conference that Iran had rendered the physical architecture of US dominance ineffective within a month. He added that no comprehensive or accurate report on the scale of the damage has been made public. Access to bases in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman remains tightly restricted by both the Pentagon and host governments.

Analysts cited in the report suggest that secrecy around the sites is being maintained to protect the security of US bases used in operations against Iran.