Pentagon Considers Reducing Troops in the Middle East
The United States Department of Defense, or the Pentagon, is reportedly considering options to reduce the number of US troops stationed in the Middle East. The discussion emerged after several US military facilities sustained damage from Iranian attacks.
A report by The Washington Post on Tuesday (18/8) stated that the Pentagon is also considering the possibility of not restoring a number of damaged military bases to their original condition.
The scheme to reduce the military presence is being considered by the Pentagon’s policy office. The US Joint Staff and US Central Command, or CENTCOM, are also said to be reviewing the prospect.
However, an unnamed Pentagon official said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has not yet ordered a formal review of the plan.
According to the official, the current consideration is a form of prudent planning expected to help determine decisions regarding the reconstruction of US military bases that have suffered damage.
CENTCOM is the US military command responsible for the Middle East region. The command typically stations around 40,000 troops at approximately 20 US military sites spread from Jordan to Oman.
Since the beginning of this year, the US has deployed a significant number of additional military assets to the Gulf region to support its military operations against Iran.
The deployed assets include warships, fighter jets, and air defence systems. The reinforcement was carried out as military tensions between the US and Iran escalated.
Overall, the US is said to have launched more than 13,000 strikes against Iran since the war broke out in February.
Iran responded by launching attacks on various US military facilities located in several countries in the Gulf region.
The damage caused by those attacks is now one of the factors being considered by the Pentagon in determining the future of the US military presence in the Middle East, including whether all affected bases need to be rebuilt to their previous condition.