AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The US-Israeli war against Iran has exposed the vulnerability of American military infrastructure in the Persian Gulf littoral states, and this very issue has become one of the main topics in the country's internal discussions about the possibility of reducing Washington's military presence in the region.
The Hill, citing individuals familiar with discussions inside and around the Pentagon, wrote that the final decision on the withdrawal or reduction of American forces in the Middle East will depend on the outcome of the war with Iran.
At the same time, some former US national security officials consider a reduction in military presence to be a kind of "necessary recalibration."
The Hill referred to an estimate by the American Enterprise Institute, according to which about 70 structures at 11 American military bases in the Middle East have been damaged, with damages amounting to approximately $5 billion.
The Pentagon Inspector General's report has also reported damage or destruction to "hundreds of buildings and structures" at American bases in Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at the Defense Priorities institute, says American bases around the Persian Gulf, including in Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait, are "not easily defensible," and even if rebuilt, there is a possibility of them being damaged again in future conflicts.
The United States currently has more than 50,000 military personnel in the region under CENTCOM's responsibility; forces deployed from Jordan to Oman that have been repeatedly targeted since the start of the war with Iran.
Meanwhile, some currents close to the hardline faction in America have proposed transferring part of the forces to Israel, while options such as deploying forces in underground facilities and strengthening air defense systems have also been raised in discussions about the future of the American military presence in the region.
The Hill ultimately emphasizes that even strengthening air defense at bases near Iran faces an important limitation: concern about the decline in American interceptor missile stockpiles.
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