Muscat: As tensions escalate, focus has turned to significant U.S. bases and installations positioned across the Gulf and wider Middle East, sites that could play a strategic role in any widening conflict.
In Bahrain, the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet is headquartered, overseeing maritime operations across the Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The base is central to safeguarding vital shipping lanes and regional stability.
In neighboring Qatar, the sprawling Al Udeid Air Base, a 24-hectare facility outside Doha, serves as the forward headquarters of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Directing operations from Egypt to Kazakhstan, it is the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, housing around 10,000 troops.
Kuwait hosts multiple American installations, including Camp Arifjan, the forward headquarters of U.S. Army Central. The Ali Al Salem Air Base, located about 40 km from the Iraqi border and nicknamed “The Rock” for its remote setting, supports air operations. Camp Buehring, established during the 2003 Iraq War, remains a key staging ground for troops deploying into Iraq and Syria.
In the United Arab Emirates, Al Dhafra Air Base south of Abu Dhabi is a major U.S. Air Force hub. The base has supported missions against the Islamic State group and reconnaissance operations across the region. Meanwhile, Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port, though not a formal military base, is the U.S. Navy’s largest port of call in the Middle East, frequently hosting aircraft carriers and other warships.
The U.S. also maintains a military presence in Iraq, including at Ain Al Asad Air Base in Anbar province. The facility supports Iraqi security forces and NATO missions and was targeted by Iranian missile strikes in 2020 following the U.S. killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. In northern Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, Erbil Air Base serves as a hub for U.S. and coalition training, intelligence sharing and logistical coordination.
In Saudi Arabia, where 2,321 U.S. troops were stationed in 2024 according to a White House letter, American forces operate in coordination with the Saudi government. Prince Sultan Air Base, located roughly 60 km south of Riyadh, supports Patriot missile batteries and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems, bolstering regional air and missile defence.
Further north, in Jordan, the Muwaffaq al Salti Air Base in Azraq hosts the U.S. Air Forces Central’s 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. The base supports missions across the Levant and plays a key role in coalition air operations.