As tensions flare in the Middle East, the Pentagon is grappling with growing concern over the safety of roughly 40,000 to 50,000 American troops and personnel stationed across 19 locations, from Bahrain to Syria.
These forces could become targets if Washington joins Israel in striking Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Iran has warned to retaliate against American bases in the region with ballistic missiles and drones. “If nuclear negotiations fail and conflict arises with the United States, Iran will strike American bases in the region,” Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said on June 11, before Israel launched surprise attacks on Iran.
On Thursday, Iran’s deputy foreign minister warned the United States against backing Israel amid escalating regional tensions.
“If the United States wants to actively enter the field in favour of the Zionist regime, Iran will have to use its tools to both teach a lesson to aggressors and defend its national security and national interests,” said Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister.
On Wednesday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth gave reassurances to the Senate that “maximum protection” measures are in place.
“We work hand in glove with the Joint Staff and CENTCOM and every [combatant command], especially right now, to ensure everything at our disposal is available to ensure maximum force protection against any contingency,” he told senators.
But some lawmakers remain unconvinced. Senator Richard Blumenthal expressed scepticism over the Pentagon’s ability to fend off drone swarms, calling current defences insufficient.
“I have no assurance that we have the capacity to safeguard against a swarm of small, lightweight, slow-moving drones that are,” Blumenthal said.
The heightened state of alert follows Israel’s surprise military strikes on Iran, which began on June 13 and killed senior Iranian military officials, nuclear scientists, and struck key sites. The attacks also resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.
Provoke broader conflict?
The latest developments evoke memories of January 2020, when Iran responded to the US killing of General Qasem Soleimani with a missile barrage on American troops in Iraq, injuring about 100 personnel.
While negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme remain fragile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears determined to escalate. Critics suggest his campaign is designed to provoke a broader conflict involving the United States.
The Pentagon has redeployed military assets and additional weapons across the region. Forces in Qatar, home to the largest US base in the Middle East, have been bolstered. The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group has been moved into position. Pentagon officials stressed that forces are in a defensive posture.
US President Donald Trump has not formally committed to the Israeli offensive but has vaguely suggested possible military involvement, stating, “I may do it. I may not do it.”
