Iran Hits US Air Bases In Qatar: Day after warning the United States of “severe consequences” after American military planes bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, Iran targeted the US Air Force base in Qatar’s Al Udeid, the largest US military base in the Middle East, on Monday.
Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, ever since Israel hit Iran earlier this month and the latter retaliated, the US joined Israeli forces early Sunday to decapitate Iran’s nuclear program, and hit the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities in Iran, with President Donald Trump sharing a social media post suggesting “Fordow is gone”.
Later in the day, Iranian state television declared that “every American citizen or military personnel” was now a “target” in West Asia. An editorial in Kayhan, a hard-line newspaper, even gave a call that the US naval fleet in Bahrain should be attacked and the Strait of Hormuz closed for not only American but also other German, French, and British ships.
While an Iranian retaliation against the US was on expected lines, the Al Udeid attack has triggered anticipation that there may be similar hits on other US military bases in the Middle East. The US military has several bases and warships deployed across the region, and they fall under its Central Command (CENTCOM). While the key bases are in in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Iraq, and Syria, the US military maintains a strategic presence in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt too.
Key US Military Bases In Middle East
Qatar: The Al Udeid Air Base, which is also known as Abu Nakhla Airport, is a key military facility located in Al Wakra, west of Doha, the capital of Qatar. Besides Qatari forces, it hosts US military assets, coalition troops, and also serves as the headquarters for US operations in Iraq. It has the Gulf region’s longest airstrip.
According to reports, Qatar granted the US access to the base in 2000, but formalised the arrangement in 2002 after the US assumed control in 2001.
The base reportedly houses the USAF’s 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the US Central Command, and the RAF’s No. 83 Group. It also supports the 319th Air Expeditionary Group, equipped with bombers, fighters, and reconnaissance aircraft, along with extensive support units and advanced military hardware.
Bahrain: The tiny Gulf nation hosts one of the most critical US military installations in the Middle East. The Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain is the headquarters for the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), making it central to American maritime strategy in the region.
While the US is said to had its regular presence in the region since 1949, it was the British Royal Navy that operated the facility then. The US Navy set up its base after Bahrain got its independence in 1971. The base supports both permanently stationed vessels and those rotating from the Atlantic and Pacific fleets. It also hosts the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) formed in 2002 to coordinate coalition naval missions.
Besides hosting some of the largest US military vessels, including aircraft carriers, the deep-water port reportedly hosts two logistical support ships and four anti-mine vessels. According to a report in The Times Of Israel, the US Coast Guard also has vessels in Bahrain.
Kuwait: US has several US air bases in Kuwait. Among them is the Ali al-Salem Air Base, a primary airlift hub that houses members of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing. Then there is Camp Arifjan, which houses not only the US Air Force, but also the US Navy, US Coast Guard, and US Marine Corps.
UAE: The Al Dhafra Air Base is home to the US Air Force’s 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. The US military reportedly has had its presence at the base since early 1990s, but officially acknowledged it only in August 2017. Al Dhafra is operated by the United Arab Emirates Air Force and serves as the headquarters of its Western Air Command.
In fact, though not a formal military base, the Jebel Ali Port is Dubai is the largest port of call for the US Navy in the Middle East.
Iraq: There are two military bases in Iraq where the US maintains a strategic presence. At Ain Al Asad Air Base in western Anbar province, it supports Iraqi security forces and the NATO mission. The base was notably targeted by Iranian missile strikes in 2020 following the US killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.
In northern Iraq, Erbil Air Base, located in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, serves as a key hub for US and coalition forces.
Syria: The US has had its presence in Syria since it started military action in the country as part international efforts to neutralise the Islamic State. The US military operates from the Al Tanf base and some other facilities in northeastern Syria. According to an AFP report, the Pentagon announced earlier this year a plan to halve its military presence in Syria to less than 1,000 soon.
Saudi Arabia: There were 2,321 US soldiers in Saudi Arabia in 2024, according to a White House letter. They operate in coordination with the Saudi government. A Reuters report says some of these soldiers are stationed at the Prince Sultan Air Base, which supports Patriot missile batteries, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems, and other US Army air defence assets.
Jordan: The Muwaffaq al Salti Air Base in Azraq, nearly 100 km northeast of the capital Amman, has the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing of the US Air Forces Central Command stationed there. It engages in missions across the Levant, the Reuters report says, quoting a 2024 report in the library of Congress.
Egypt: The US military has a presence in Egypt too, and it supports the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), which is an international peacekeeping force that supervises “the implementation of the security provisions of the Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace and employ best efforts to prevent any violation of its terms”.
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