The US Department of Defense is considering plans to reduce the size of the US military presence in the Middle East, centered around the Persian Gulf, The Washington Post reported on August 18. This comes as numerous bases in the region exposed their vulnerabilities to Iranian missile and drone attacks during the war with Iran.
This evaluation is reportedly being led by the Department of Defense’s policy office, with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and US Central Command also examining the matter.
However, a senior Department of Defense official explained that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has not yet ordered a formal review of the US military posture in the Middle East, noting that the ongoing analysis could serve as a reference for future decisions.
US Central Command, which oversees US forces in the Middle East, typically maintains about 40,000 troops across nearly 20 sites stretching from Jordan to Oman in peacetime. In particular, many of the largest permanent US bases in the Middle East are concentrated in the Persian Gulf. Bahrain, a Persian Gulf coastal state, houses the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, while countries like Kuwait host Army and Air Force assets.
The Washington Post previously reported that more than 200 US military facilities were damaged or destroyed during the war with Iran.
Concerns over the depletion of weapon stockpiles are also emerging, as the US military consumed more than 1,000 air defense interceptor missiles while attempting to defend its forces.
