Iran threatens to strike US bases: A look at Washington's military presence in the Middle East

Following are the significant military bases in the Middle East. Iran has threatened to strike US bases in the region if attacked by Washington, after US President Donald Trump told Iranians to keep protesting and declared "help is on the way".

Bahrain

Home to ​the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, whose area of responsibility includes the Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and parts of ‌the Indian Ocean.

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Qatar

The 24-hectare (59-acre) Al Udeid Air Base, in the desert outside the capital Doha, ⁠is the forward headquarters for US Central Command, ‌which directs US military operations in a huge swathe of territory stretching from Egypt in the west to Kazakhstan in the east. The Middle East's largest U.S. base houses around 10,000 troops.

US Central Command said in January that it and regional partners had opened a new coordination cell (MEAD-CDOC) at Al Udeid to enhance integrated air and missile defence. The new cell would improve how regional forces coordinate and share air and missile responsibilities ​across the Middle East, it said.

Kuwait

Several sprawling military installations include Camp Arifjan, the forward headquarters of US Army Central and the Ali Al Salem Air Base, roughly 40 km (25 miles) from the Iraqi border and known as "The Rock" for its isolated, rugged environment. Camp Buehring was established during the 2003 Iraq War and is a staging post ‌for US Army units ‌deploying into Iraq and Syria, according to the US Army website.

United Arab Emirates

The Al Dhafra Air Base, situated south of the UAE capital Abu Dhabi and shared with the UAE Air ⁠Force, is a critical US Air Force hub that has supported key missions against the Islamic State, as well as reconnaissance deployments across the region, according to the US Air Force Central Command.

Dubai's Jebel Ali Port, while not a formal military base, is the US Navy's largest port of call in the Middle East ⁠and regularly hosts US aircraft carriers and other vessels.

Iraq

The US maintains a presence at Ain Al ⁠Asad Air Base in western Anbar province, supporting Iraqi security forces and contributing to the NATO mission, according ‌to the White House. Iranian missile strikes targeted the base in 2020, in retaliation for the U.S. killing of ‌Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

Situated in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq, Erbil Air Base serves as a hub for US and coalition forces conducting training exercises and battle drills. The base supports US military efforts by providing a secure location for training, intelligence sharing, and logistical coordination in ‍northern Iraq, according to a 2024 Library of Congress report.

Saudi Arabia

US soldiers in Saudi Arabia - who numbered 2,321 in 2024 according to a White House letter - operate in coordination with the Saudi government, providing air and missile defence capabilities and supporting the operation of US military aircraft.

Some are stationed roughly 60 km south of Riyadh, at Prince Sultan Air Base, which supports US Army air defence assets including Patriot missile batteries and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems.

Jordan

Located in Azraq, 100 km northeast of the capital Amman, the Muwaffaq al Salti Air Base hosts the US Air Forces Central's 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, which engages in missions across the Levant, according to the Library of Congress.

Turkey

Turkey and the US jointly run the Incirlik ​Air Base in the southern Adana province. It hosts ‌US nuclear warheads and has been used to support the international coalition fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. It is also home to 1,465 members of the US military stationed in Turkey.