"U.S. troops in the Middle East shuttling between hotels after Iranian airstrikes"

[Financial News] A report has emerged that a large number of United States military bases in the Middle East have been heavily damaged by Iranian airstrikes, forcing troops to move into civilian facilities such as hotels.
According to British daily The Daily Telegraph on the 26th (local time), Iran has attacked 104 military bases across the Middle East since it launched the war on the 28th of last month. Among 13 United States military bases in the region, many have reportedly become effectively unfit for personnel to live in. The report cited open-source analysts and local media outlets.
The Daily Telegraph wrote, "Iran's airstrikes have forced the United States military to withdraw from several bases in the Middle East, and troops are now operating out of nearby hotels and office buildings," adding, "This could pose risks to both soldiers and civilians."
By location, Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait has come under attack 23 times, the highest number. Camp Arifjan and Camp Buehring have been hit 17 and 6 times, respectively. At Al Udeid Air Base in the State of Qatar, antennas and satellite facilities were destroyed, while at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), imagery showed a large hole in a building believed to house troops. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) radar equipment deployed at an air base in Jordan was also reported to have been damaged.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a U.S. think tank, has estimated that damage to United States military bases in the Middle East amounts to at least 800 million dollars, or about 1.2 trillion won.
The strain on air-defense networks is also growing. Some experts note that as the United States and Israel run down their interceptor missile stocks, defending against attacks is becoming increasingly difficult. According to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the number of missiles Iran has recently launched has decreased, but the share of missiles that penetrate U.S.-Israeli air defenses has actually risen.
Iran has warned that civilian facilities housing United States military personnel could also become targets. Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesperson for the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces, said on state television on the 26th, "If U.S. troops move into a hotel, that hotel can soon be regarded as U.S. territory," and asked, "Should we not strike wherever they are?"
Abbas Araghchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, also wrote on X (social network) on the 27th, "Since the war began, U.S. forces have abandoned their bases in the Persian Gulf region and are hiding in hotels and offices," accusing them of "using citizens of the Persian Gulf region as human shields." At the same time, he urged hotels in the Persian Gulf region to refuse to accommodate U.S. troops.
The hardline Fars News Agency in Iran likewise reported that hotel owners in Bahrain and the UAE had been warned that "any facility that accommodates U.S. troops will become a legitimate target of attack."

km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter