# Report: Iran's Upgraded Weapons Have Caused Up to $15 Billion in Damage to U.S. Bases, and the July Jordan Strike Hit 19 Buildings Housing Troops

The New York Post summarizes a Wall Street Journal analysis saying Iran's attacks grew more precise. Pentagon estimates start at $5 billion. The Defense Department has said Iran's capabilities were wiped out.

- Section: [World](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/world/)
- Published: 2026-11-02
- By: RightNewsRightNow Staff
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/articles/iran-boosted-weapons-up-to-15-billion-us-base-damage-wall-street-journal-jordan-july-17-three-killed-new-york-post/

Iran has improved its missiles and drones enough to cause as much as $15 billion in damage to U.S. bases in the Middle East since the war began, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis summarized by the New York Post.

The July strike. The Journal examined the July 17 attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan that killed three American service members. Based on its sources and satellite imagery, the paper says the nighttime strike hit 19 buildings housing American troops while they slept. It says Iran is now hitting smaller buildings than at the start of the war, a sign of better aim.

The wider damage. The Post says Iran's heaviest attacks came early, when it damaged at least 119 buildings across 13 installations in the first two weeks. The Journal estimates Iran has since hit another 155 structures, with 13 more military installations damaged by the end of July. The Pentagon estimates at least $5 billion in base damage, and the true cost could reach $15 billion. That sum is not part of the Defense Department's latest war cost estimate of $47.1 billion as of Oct. 16. More than 20 U.S. service members have died and more than 400 have been wounded, the Defense Department says.

The dispute. The Post says the Journal's findings run against Trump administration claims that Iran's capabilities were wiped out, and that reports indicate the U.S. military has been pulling people out of regional bases in recent months. Trump is weighing renewed airstrikes after Tuesday's elections, and Iran has vowed to retaliate across the region. Pentagon officials warned the response could be among the deadliest yet, with Iran likely saving some of its best missiles, the Journal reported.

What to keep in mind. We have not read the Journal's report, and the $15 billion figure is a high-end projection. The damage and casualty figures come from the Journal's sources and the Pentagon.

## Source

Original reporting: [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/11/01/world-news/irans-boosted-weapons-have-caused-up-to-15-billion-in-us-base-damage-report/)