What are the main US military bases in the Middle East?

Israel and the United States launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, plunging the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation.

Following are significant U.S. military facilities in the Middle East:

BAHRAIN:

Home to the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, whose area of responsibility includes the Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean.

QATAR:

The 24-hectare Al Udeid Air Base, in the desert outside the capital Doha, is the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command, which directs U.S. military operations in 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.

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KUWAIT:

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

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES:

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

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

Loud explosions heard in Riyadh: AFP

IRAQ:

The U.S. 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 U.S. and coalition forces conducting training exercises and battle drills. The base supports U.S. military efforts by providing a secure location for training, intelligence sharing, and logistical coordination in northern Iraq, according to the congressional report.

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SAUDI ARABIA:

U.S. soldiers in Saudi Arabia – which 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 U.S. military aircraft.

Some are stationed roughly 60 km south of Riyadh, at Prince Sultan Air Base, which supports U.S. Army 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 U.S. Air Forces Central’s 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, which engages in missions across the Levant, according to a 2024 report in the Library of Congress.