U.S. Military Bases in the Middle East May Move Underground

According to a report by Reference News Network on September 14, the Russian newspaper "Independent" reported on September 10 that the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies are discussing the issue of U.S. military presence in the Middle East after the end of the Iran war. Specifically, the U.S. may not only refrain from repairing some military facilities damaged by Iranian strikes since the war began on February 28, but may also relocate some operational and reconnaissance infrastructure out of the Middle East. Those bases that are planned to be retained may be modified and moved underground to guard against drone and missile attacks.

According to a report by CNN citing sources, the U.S. military and intelligence agencies are discussing the possibility of reducing the scale of U.S. troops and military facilities in the Middle East.

CNN assessed that U.S. leadership is considering the following options: not repairing bases that have been severely damaged or completely destroyed by Iranian strikes, and some reconnaissance and operational tasks will no longer rely on military personnel stationed in the Middle East. The Iranian strikes have exposed the severe vulnerabilities of U.S. military bases in the region and have resulted in the deaths of 18 U.S. soldiers.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is also considering reinforcing and completely renovating those military facilities that will still be retained, including moving some facilities deep underground. Sources interviewed by CNN stated that planners have prepared multiple options to adjust the structure and form of U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East next year. A U.S. official, who wished to remain anonymous, told CNN: “The vulnerabilities of U.S. military bases in the region have long been known, but the U.S. has never taken countermeasures.”

Since the U.S. and Israel began military actions against Iran on February 28, Iran has struck more than 20 U.S. military bases available in the Middle East during its counterattacks, which are distributed across eight Middle Eastern countries: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Bahrain, and Oman. The damage caused by the Iranian strikes is far more severe than what U.S. military leaders have stated. Satellite data shows that some critical infrastructure has suffered substantial damage.

Middle East expert Anton Mardasov pointed out to the "Independent" that: “Since ‘9/11’, there has long been a strategic debate within the U.S. One strategy is the ‘Counterterrorism +’ strategy, which combines small teams of special forces with active air support to combat terrorist forces; the other model is believed to have been pioneered by General David Petraeus, advocating for the deployment of troops and institutionalizing the garrison mechanism to fundamentally ensure security. Logically, as the confrontation with Iran escalates to a new level, this will inevitably lead to tactical and strategic adjustments, and the U.S. will abandon the routine of fighting limited wars.”

The expert stated that under the new circumstances, the Pentagon will rely more on close cooperation with regional partners, develop command and staff organizations, promote the integration of various functional departments, and strengthen intelligence sharing. (Translated by Zhao Zhipeng)