US bases in Middle East face attacks during Iran war

Iran has targeted Middle East bases where American troops are stationed during its war with the United States, turning sites long used by Washington into targets.

The bases and troop locations fall under the US military's Central Command. Elizabeth Dent, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said bases in the region that house US troops can support missions including logistics, pre-positioned equipment, refuelling and combat operations.

Iran has accused Gulf states of allowing the United States to use the bases for attacks. Dent said that was likely, but said Tehran's recurring argument that all such bases are inherently offensive is not accurate.

Bahrain hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and US Naval Forces Central Command headquarters. Its deep-water port can take the largest US military vessels, including aircraft carriers. The US Navy has used the base since 1948, when it was operated by Britain's Royal Navy. US anti-mine vessels and logistical support ships are among those with a home port in Bahrain. Bahrain has faced heavy Iranian strikes, and Manama briefly evacuated the neighbourhood hosting the Fifth Fleet early in the war as it came under attack.

In Iraq, American troops are deployed as part of the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in the northern Kurdistan region, mainly at Erbil airport and al-Harir air base. Iraq is a close ally of Iran and also a strategic partner of the United States. The coalition is preparing to end its mission in Iraq by the end of September. Iran-backed Iraqi groups have hit US facilities, including diplomatic missions in Baghdad and Erbil, more than 600 times during the war. A US service member was killed last week in northern Iraq during the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone.

Jordan and the United States say sites in Jordan that house US troops are Jordanian bases, although Iran often calls them American bases. In the run-up to the February 28 strikes on Iran that began the war, the United States reportedly deployed dozens of military aircraft to Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, which also hosts other Western forces. The base has F-16, F-15 and F-35 fighter jets, refuelling and reconnaissance aircraft, drones, and Patriot and THAAD air defence systems. Iranian attacks recently killed three US service members in Jordan. Dent said the United States had shifted in recent years toward more flexible basing on the western side of the Middle East, in Israel and Jordan, because of Iran's growing missile, drone and proxy network.

The United States has had a large military presence in Kuwait since helping the country after Iraq invaded in 1990. US bases there include Camp Arifjan, which houses the forward headquarters for the US Army component of Central Command. Ali al-Salem Air Base hosts the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing and serves as a main airlift hub and gateway for combat power to joint and coalition forces in the region. Washington has also deployed drones including MQ-9 Reapers to Kuwait. Six US service members, as well as four Kuwaiti troops and border guards, have been killed there since the war began.

Qatar hosts Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US base in the Middle East. It includes forward components of Central Command, as well as the command's air forces and special operations forces. The base hosts rotating combat aircraft and the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, whose assets include airlift, aerial refuelling, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and medical evacuation. Iran hit Al Udeid during the current war, after first attacking it in June 2025 following US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

In the United Arab Emirates, Al Dhafra Air Base hosts the US 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, made up of 10 aircraft squadrons and drones such as MQ-9 Reapers. Combat aircraft have rotated through the base, which also hosts the US Air Force's hub for advanced air warfare training.

US forces returned to Saudi Arabia in 2019 under a bilateral agreement. Saudi Arabia does not have American bases, but it hosts troops at Prince Sultan Air Base in Al-Kharj, outside Riyadh. The base houses the 378th Air Expeditionary Wing and has come under attack. A US service member in Saudi Arabia died after being wounded in an Iranian attack in March.

Neil Quilliam, a Middle East expert at Chatham House, said he did not expect Gulf states to consider reducing the US military presence despite deadly attacks. He said Washington itself was likely to reconsider its military posture in the region.