To Base or Not to Base: The Iran War Exposes Flaws of U.S. Bases in the Middle East
This analysis by former U.S. official Elliott Abrams argues that the ongoing conflict with Iran has exposed critical vulnerabilities in the U.S. military basing pattern across the Persian Gulf. Major installations like Al Udeid in Qatar, the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, and bases in Kuwait and the UAE are all within easy striking distance of Iranian missiles and drones, leading to at least 17 U.S. deaths and billions in equipment losses. The basing pattern, originally designed for Cold War threats and effective during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars against less capable adversaries, is now an anachronism. Retired General Frank McKenzie advocates moving forces westward, particularly to Israel, due to its distance from Iran and favorable access, basing, and overflight rights. Some U.S. aircraft have already relocated to Israeli and Jordanian bases. The article notes that alternative locations like western Saudi Arabia or Egypt face political and financial hurdles, and that new bases are extremely expensive.
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