The United States has operated military bases across the Middle East for several decades, maintaining installations in at least 19 locations under the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). These bases, spread across countries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and Syria, host both military and civilian personnel totaling more than fifty thousand. The facilities include air defense systems, warplanes, and naval vessels deployed in regional waters.

Qatar’s Al Udeid base serves as the largest U.S. installation in the region and houses CENTCOM’s forward headquarters. Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, while Kuwait’s Camp Arifjan and Ali Al-Salem Air Base function as key operational and logistical hubs. The United Arab Emirates’ Al Dhafra base supports intelligence and combat air operations. In Iraq and Syria, U.S. forces remain engaged primarily in counterterrorism missions, with around 2,500 troops in Iraq and 2,000 in Syria.

According to the report, Washington continues discussions with Baghdad on gradually reducing its troop presence in Iraq, while maintaining strategic positions across the region.