US mulls shrinking military footprint in Gulf as a result of war on Iran: Report

The United States is considering the possibility of reducing its military presence in the Gulf region in response to the ongoing war with Iran, according to reports from current and former U.S. officials. Iranian missiles and drones have revealed the susceptibility of maintaining troops in Gulf states, according to these officials.

The Trump administration is now evaluating whether to withdraw troops from the Gulf following the US-Israeli war on Iran, with the Pentagon assessing the risks faced by major U.S. bases in the region, which have been targeted by Iranian missiles and drones. The Pentagon's policy office is spearheading this assessment, with the Washington Post reporting that the war is seen as "a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Pentagon to reconsider its presence in the region."

The U.S. has previously indicated that it may not rebuild bases attacked by Iran to their pre-war condition. Middle East Eye had previously reported that current and former U.S. officials believed that a reassessment of the U.S.'s traditional basing framework in the region was anticipated as a consequence of the war.

Several retired U.S. officials have raised the idea of downsizing for months. Former CIA Director and CENTCOM (Commander, Central Command) David Petraeus stated in May that the U.S. is less willing to stay in these bases now that the Iranians have demonstrated what they can do to them. He further stated that this situation is much more severe than it was when he was in charge of CENTCOM.

General Frank McKenzie, another former CENTCOM commander, suggested in July that the U.S. should relocate its bases in the Gulf to Israel and neighboring countries to better protect its assets from Iran's missiles and drones. He described the current U.S. basing system in the Middle East as a relic of the Cold War era, when the U.S. was primarily concerned about a potential Soviet invasion of oil-rich Arab Gulf states and later, counter-insurgency wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Washington Post also cited U.S. Admiral Bradley Cooper, the current commander of CENTCOM, who has backed discussions about potentially moving U.S. troops westward from the Gulf. Iran has effectively pushed the U.S. away from the Gulf coast, targeting Bahrain, home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet; Qatar, home to CENTCOM's headquarters; and air bases in Kuwait and the UAE. The U.S.'s presence in small Gulf states near Iran, such as Kuwait and Bahrain, has proven to be particularly vulnerable.