8 hours ago
From Bahrain To Qatar, A Look At Key US Military Bases In Middle East
Tehran:
Amid tensions spiralling in the Middle East, Iran has warned of "severe consequences" for the United States after the US military joined Israeli forces to strike three nuclear sites in Iran early on Sunday. Iranian state television said "every American citizen or military personnel" in West Asia was now on Tehran's "target" after US airstrikes on Iran's Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities.
Hossein Shariatmadar, a close aide of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and managing editor of the hard-line Kayhan newspaper, wrote an editorial on Sunday calling on Iranian forces to strike the US naval fleet in Bahrain and close the Strait of Hormuz for American, British, German, and French ships.
"It is now our turn to act without delay. As a first step, we must launch a missile strike on the US naval fleet in Bahrain and simultaneously close the Strait of Hormuz to American, British, German, and French ships," he wrote. Shariatmadari's editorial followed a warning from Khamenei himself, who earlier cautioned the United States of "severe consequences" for its military intervention.
While Iran plans its next move, NDTV looks at key US military bases in the Middle East that could be on Iranian target as the Pentagon braced for almost-certain retaliation against American forces in the region. Across the Middle East, the US has reportedly stationed over 40,000 troops on American bases and warships in the region-- which fall under the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM). The major concentrations of US forces in the region are in Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Key US Bases In The Middle East
Bahrain: The US Navy's Fifth Fleet and US Naval Forces Central Command are headquartered in Bahrain-- a tiny Gulf kingdom that remains the United States' critical asset in the Persian Gulf.
Bahrain's deep-water port can dock some of the largest US military vessels, including aircraft carriers. It is home to America's four anti-mine vessels and two logistical support ships. The US Coast Guard also has vessels in the country, according to The Times OF Israel report.
The base has been used by the US Navy since 1948, when the facility was operated by Britain's Royal Navy.
Qatar: Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military base in the Middle East, is in Qatar. The base reportedly includes the forward components of CENTCOM, as well as its air forces and special operation forces in the region. It also hosts America's rotating combat aircraft, as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing.
Iraq: The United States has various troop installations in Iraq, including the Al Asad Air Base in Al-Anbar Governorate and Al Harir Air Base in Erbil. Baghdad is not only Washington's close ally since after 2003 war, but also Tehran's arch enemy in the region. The Middle Eastern nation houses some 2,500 US troops as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group.
Iran targeted the Al Asad Air Base in 2020 after the killing of Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani. The Al Harir Air Base has also been on the receiving end of Iranian proxy group drone attacks
Syria: For years, the US has maintained a military presence at various installations in Syria as part of international efforts against the Islamic State group, which rose out of the country's civil war and overran large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq for years. America's Al Tanf Garrison is housed in southern Syria, near the borders of Iraq and Jordan.
Kuwait: Kuwait has several US bases, including Ali al-Salem Air Base, located about 20 miles from the Iraqi border, that houses members of the Air Force's 386th Air Expeditionary Wing. The base is the "primary airlift hub and gateway for delivering combat power to joint and coalition forces" in the region.
It also has Camp Arifjan, the location of the forward headquarters for the US Army component of CENTCOM. The US Army reportedly also stocks prepositioned materiel in the country.
UAE: America's Al Dhafra Air Base is located in the United Arab Emirates. The installation is home to the Air Force's 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, which operates F-22 Raptor fighter jets and several kinds of surveillance planes and drones, including MQ-9 Reapers.
Al Dhafra also hosts the Gulf Air Warfare Centre for air and missile defence training.
