Pentagon reviews US military presence in Middle East

The Pentagon is reviewing the United States’ military presence in the Middle East, indicating that a potential war with Iran could alter Washington’s footprint in the region, according to The Washington Post on Tuesday.

According to the report, the Pentagon is considering reducing the number of US troops in the Gulf region, where several major US bases have come under Iranian attack for months.

The damage has created an opportunity for the US to review its military posture in the region. Some officials have even suggested that certain bases may not be rebuilt in their previous form.

The review is being led by the Pentagon’s policy office. The Joint Chiefs of Staff and US Central Command (CENTCOM) are also examining the matter, according to the report.

A senior Pentagon official said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has not ordered a formal review.

He described the effort as “prudent planning” to help determine decisions regarding the reconstruction of damaged bases.

“Decisions will have to be made on some of these matters,” the official said.

CENTCOM typically stations around 40,000 personnel at nearly 20 locations stretching from Jordan to Oman.

Since the beginning of this year, Washington has deployed additional warships, fighter jets and air defence systems to the region and has launched more than 13,000 strikes against Iran.

The largest permanent US military bases in the region are concentrated in the Gulf states, including the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain as well as major US Army and Air Force facilities in countries such as Kuwait.