Israel and the US attacks on Iran plunge the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation
General view of US Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircrafts at al-Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar. PHOTO: REUTERS
Israel and the United States launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, plunging the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation.
American security project. PHOTO: REUTERS
The following are significant US military facilities in the Middle East:
Bahrain:
Home to the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, whose area of responsibility includes the Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean.
Qatar:
The 24-hectare Al Udeid Air Base, in the desert outside the capital Doha, is the forward headquarters for US Central Command, which directs US military operations in territory stretching from Egypt in the west to Kazakhstan in the east. The Middle East’s largest US base houses around 10,000 troops.
Kuwait:
Several military installations include Camp Arifjan, the forward headquarters of US Army Central and the Ali Al Salem Air Base, roughly 40 km from the Iraqi border and known as “The Rock” because of its isolated, rugged environment. Camp Buehring was established during the 2003 Iraq War and is a staging post for US Army units deploying into Iraq and Syria, according to the US Army website.
United Arab Emirates:
The Al Dhafra Air Base, situated south of the UAE capital Abu Dhabi and shared with the UAE Air Force, is a critical US Air Force hub that has supported missions against the Islamic State, as well as reconnaissance deployments across the region, according to the US Air Force Central Command.
Read: More strikes aimed at Iran after US, Israeli assault kills supreme leader Khamenei
Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port, while not a formal military base, is the US Navy’s largest port of call in the Middle East that regularly hosts US aircraft carriers and other vessels.
Saudi Arabia:
US soldiers in Saudi Arabia, which numbered 2,321 in 2024 according to a White House letter, operate in coordination with the Saudi government, providing air and missile defence capabilities and supporting the operation of US military aircraft.
Some are stationed roughly 60 km south of Riyadh, at Prince Sultan Air Base, which supports US Army assets including Patriot missile batteries and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems.
Jordan:
Located in Azraq, 100 km northeast of the capital Amman, the Muwaffaq al Salti Air Base hosts the US Air Forces Central’s 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, which engages in missions across the Levant, according to a 2024 report in the Library of Congress.
