Brewing storm: Which US bases in West Asia are within Iran’s missile crosshairs?

By Ivan Kesic

Donald Trump’s re-election as US president has unsurprisingly triggered a dramatic escalation of tensions in the West Asia region, allowing Benjamin Netanyahu to intensify the genocidal offensive on Gaza.

In a blatant breach of the ceasefire deal with Hamas, the Israeli regime imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza, followed by renewed genocidal aggression on the besieged Palestinian territory, killing nearly 500 civilians in a single day, most of them children and women.

Yemen, which had issued a four-day ultimatum demanding that the Israeli regime lift the blockade during the holy month of Ramadan, reaffirmed its readiness to resume pro-Gaza operations after the regime continued within its inhumane blockade and aggression.

However, it was Trump who ordered devastating airstrikes on the poorest Arab country, killing dozens of civilians and prompting swift and forceful retaliation from the Yemenis.

Taken aback by retaliatory attacks on a US aircraft carrier and other warships in the Red Sea, the newly elected Republican president, known for his off-the-cuff remarks, declared that the Islamic Republic of Iran would be held responsible for the actions of the Yemenis.

His remark came only days after he sent a letter to Tehran. While the content of the letter remains undisclosed, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday said Washington would receive a response in the coming days, stressing that Tehran will not bow to pressure.

In his annual Nowruz (Persian New Year) address on Friday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei again warned the new US administration against using the language of threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He emphasized that Americans must understand threats will get them nowhere when dealing with Iran, adding that any hostile action against the Iranian nation would be met with a hard slap in the face – a clear message to Trump and his war-mongering cabinet.

Speculation is already mounting that the US and its Zionist proxy in the region are contemplating military action against Iran, despite Tehran’s warnings against such a move.

Military strategists caution that the consequences of any such miscalculation would be catastrophic given Iran’s military readiness and high capabilities.

The US has hundreds of military bases spread across the West Asia region, from Bahrain to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, and beyond.

Iran has already demonstrated its military capability – particularly its missile precision – after the assassination of top anti-terror commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani in January 2020.

The retaliatory strike on the Ain al-Assad base in western Iraq offered a glimpse into Iran’s enormous and less-known ability to hit US targets anywhere with surgical precision.

During True Promise I and True Promise II, Iran once again showcased its military prowess when provoked. Hundreds of Iranian missiles successfully bypassed Israeli defense systems to strike targets deep inside the occupied territories, including Tel Aviv and Haifa.

US military footprint in West Asia

The United States maintains a significant military presence in West Asia, with numerous bases and facilities spread across multiple countries, namely Bahrain, Cyprus, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, occupied Palestine, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the UAE.

These bases serve various strategic purposes, including controlling the global flow of oil, maintaining influence over critical chokepoints, ensuring the survival of the Zionist entity, attempting to encircle Iran, and subduing the Axis of Resistance.

At the end of last year, US military officials reported approximately 40,000 service members in the wider region, including those on ships like aircraft carriers and destroyers in regional waters like the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

According to the latest estimates, the US maintains military facilities in dozens of countries across West Asia, with many of them considered permanent by military analysts.

Apart from well-established bases in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates, there are also massive bases in Djibouti and Turkey, which are also used for military operations in West Asia.

According to various estimates, there are more than 60 American military bases, garrisons, or shared facilities in West Asia, which have long been used for destabilizing activities.

We provide an overview of key US military bases in the West Asia region, based on the significance of their roles in the event of American aggression against Iran, which would make them the primary targets of an Iranian retaliatory operation.

Al Udeid Air Base (Qatar)

Al Udeid Air Base (AUAB), located southwest of Doha, Qatar, is the largest US military base in West Asia and a critical hub for air operations across the region, including in Iraq and Syria.

According to some reports, US warplanes were seen returning to the Qatari base after recent aerial aggression against Yemen, which killed dozens of civilians, including women and children.

In 30 years of operational work, several billion dollars have been invested in the base. It covers 50 square kilometers and contains two runways and dozens of supporting facilities.

The base, described as the cornerstone of US military strategy in the West Asia region, supports over 10,000 US personnel and a wide range of aircraft, including bombers, fighters, and drones, as part of the US Air Force's 379th Air Expeditionary Wing.

Apart from the US Air Force as the main operator, it also houses Qatar Emiri Air Force, British Royal Air Force, and occasionally other foreign forces.

Most importantly, it also hosts the forward headquarters of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the US Department of Defense.

Since 2019, CENTCOM has been designated a terrorist organization by Iran, a countermeasure against the US blacklisting of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

In recent years, during active missions and increasing regional tensions, Washington has regularly sent B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer bombers to this Qatari base.

The base is located 275 km from the Iranian mainland and can be targeted by all operational Iranian ballistic missiles, even long-range rocket artillery systems, and most available kamikaze drones.

With very few hardened exceptions, the base's hangars and other facilities are mostly made of prefabricated materials, vulnerable to missile attacks. The AUAB therefore relies on air defense systems, primarily Patriot.

Late last year, amid American threats following Iran's retaliatory attack on the Zionist entity, top Qatari officials announced that they would not allow this base to be used for aggression against its neighboring countries.

Al Dhafra Air Base (UAE)

The US military maintains a significant presence in the UAE, with many known and unknown bases. One of them widely recognized and documented is Al Dhafra Air Base (ADAB).

UAE was nicknamed ‘Little Sparta’ by former US generals for the value it brings to the US.

Al Dhafra Air Base, located south of Abu Dhabi, is a major US Air Force base hosting advanced fighter jets, intelligence aircraft surveillance drones, and refueling tankers.

Dating back to the 1990s, it supports US military operations in the Persian Gulf and beyond, providing air support and intelligence capabilities. The base is also used by the UAE Air Force and the French Air Force.

ADAB hosts the US Air Force's 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, with about 5,000 active duty military personnel, and its primary mission is aerial refueling and high-altitude all-weather intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

The base played a significant role in US aggressions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria for years, and today is largely used for espionage activities against Iran and its allies.

In addition to F-22 Raptor fighters, it also hosts Lockheed U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS, and RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance UAVs, whose activities are regular along Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf.

It also hosts F-35A Lightning IIs (first deployed in April 2019), F-15C Eagles, F-15E Strike Eagles, KC-10 Extenders, and MQ-9 Reaper drones with twin runways, each 12,011 feet long.

One of the drones took off from this base in 2019 and carried out hostile activities in Iranian airspace over the Strait of Hormuz, and was shot down by the 3 Khordad air defense system.

Similar to AUAB in Qatar, ADAB is located 250 km from Iranian territory and is exposed to a wide arsenal of missiles and drones, which can easily evade Patriot and THAAD air defense systems.

Another US military base in the UAE is Jabel Ali Port in Dubai, which is the largest man-made harbor in the world and a critical logistical hub for the US Navy and hosts more US Navy ship visits than any other port outside the territory of the US, supporting the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.

Fujairah Port and Airfield on the eastern coast near the Strait of Hormuz is also an important base. Fujairah serves as a logistical point for US Navy ships and has facilities leased for strategic reconnaissance aircraft (e.g., Lockheed U-2s) and refueling planes.

Ras al Khaimah Airfield is another US military base in the UAE, which is often used for tactical aviation and reconnaissance operations.  

Naval Support Activity Bahrain (Bahrain)

The US military maintains perhaps the most active military presence in Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, which is used extensively for hostile operations in the region and beyond.

Naval Support Activity Bahrain (or NSA Bahrain), located in Manama, Bahrain, serves as the headquarters for the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) and the US Fifth Fleet.

The US Fifth Fleet's area of responsibility includes the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and northwestern parts of the Indian Ocean, with NSA Bahrain being a major hub for a range of naval activities against countries in the region.

Established on the site of the former British Royal Navy base named HMS Juffair, the US Navy took over the NSA facility in 1971, and today supports over 9,000 military personnel, US Department of Defense employees, as well as over 100 tenant commands.

The standard composition of this fleet includes one or two active carrier strike groups, but it peaked during the aggression against Iraq when five USN aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships were under its command.

Together with AUAB as the headquarters of CENTCOM and ADAB as the intelligence hub, NSA Bahrain would be a natural target in the event of any American military adventure against Iran.

The US Navy is the backbone of American military dominance in the region and it is expected that the fleet would play a primary role, especially due to the likely refusal of local Arab governments to provide land bases for hostile operations.

Located 200 km from Iranian territory, the naval base could be targeted by the same arsenal as in the previous two cases, and its warships at sea by an array of naval weapons.

Although the US Navy is a formidable opponent in offensive and defensive terms, in the Persian Gulf it is no match for Iran's colossal arsenal of sophisticated anti-ship missiles.

Iranian military officials have repeatedly stressed that American aircraft carriers no longer represent a threat as they did in the early years of the Islamic Republic, but rather an opportunity for retaliation.

Other US military bases in Bahrain include Muharraq Airfield, located near Bahrain International Airport, and operated by the US Navy for logistical operations, including the transportation of military supplies and personnel.

Naval Regional Contracting Center (NRCC) Bahrain is another US military facility in Bahrain that functions as a central hub for logistical support for US military operations across Africa, Europe, and Western Asia, according to military experts.

Dimona Radar Facility (Occupied Palestine)

The Dimona Radar Facility is located near the town of the same name and is a clandestine nuclear facility in the occupied Palestinian territories, operated by the United States.

It consists of Raytheon-built AN/TPY-2 X-band antenna arrays and two 400-meter tall radar towers, the highest in the world, designed to detect and track ballistic missiles up to 2,400 kilometers away, including most of the Iranian airspace.

The facility was built in 2008 with the primary purpose of monitoring Iranian ballistic activities, but it did little to help the Israeli regime during two Iranian retaliatory operations last year.

The radars at this facility would undoubtedly be used in any direct US conflict with Iran, making them potential targets for Iranian medium-range ballistic missiles.

Another significant American facility in the Zionist entity is the Ofrit SIGINT Base, on Mount Scopus in occupied East al-Quds, used jointly by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Israeli intelligence agencies.

Related American-British ELINT, COMINT, and MASINT facilities are also located in Cyprus, at the same distance from Iran as from the occupied Palestinian territories.

Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia (Diego Garcia)

Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia (NSF) is a jointly managed UK–US military base on the British-administered atoll Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

The strategic base was built in the 1970s by the British, after ethnically cleansing over 2,000 of the indigenous population, and was later significantly upgraded by the US Navy and Air Force.

The main motive for American involvement was the Islamic Revolution in Iran, which shook their plans for complete domination over the Persian Gulf and the world's flow of oil exports.

Washington has therefore spent hundreds of millions of dollars on an airbase, aprons for heavy bombers, hangars, maintenance buildings, a deep-water pier, anchorages and port facilities.

The island base is home to about 4,000 military personnel and contractors, the vast majority of them Americans, according to multiple reports.

Housing B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress bombers, NSF Diego Garcia are significant as a bomber base that covers large areas of Africa, Asia and Oceania from a relatively safe distance.

The B-2 Spirit, a bomber with long range, payload, and advanced stealth features, is often cited as an ideal platform for delivering heavy bombs to Iranian underground facilities.

In such a scenario, the bomber would certainly take off from NSF Diego Garcia, making the 3,800 km away base a target for an Iranian retaliatory operation.

Iran possesses adequate weapons for such an attack from its mainland, such as newer versions of the Khorramshahr missile that have an intermediate range, and the Shahed-136B kamikaze drone with a range of 4,000 km.

There is also the possibility of launching other drones and missiles, with a slightly shorter range than those mentioned, from various naval vessels.

Muwaffaq Salti Air Base (Jordan)

Like other countries in the West Asia region, the US also maintains an active military presence in Jordan. While the exact number of US military bases in Jordan is not known, some bases have been widely written about and used for hostile American activities in the region.

One of them is Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, which is located near Azraq and serves as a key site for both the Royal Jordanian Air Force and US military operations in the region.

The US has heavily invested in the upgradation of the military base, allocating $143 million in 2018 for enhancements and an additional $265 million for infrastructure projects, including runway repairs and new dormitories, according to reports.

While the exact number of US military personnel stationed at the base is not publicly known, there are around 4,000 US troops present at various US military bases in Jordan.

Muawffaq base is a key hub for US drones and fighter jets. In October 2023, after the Israeli regime launched its genocidal war on Gaza, a squadron of US F-15E Strike Eagle bombers and A-10 ground attack aircraft were deployed to the base, along with special forces.

This base is also within the range of Iranian medium and long-range missiles and drones.

Other US facilities in Jordan include Area Support Group-Jordan (ASG-J), which facilitates military operations and activities that aid in hostile American activities in the region.

Tower 22 Outpost, situated near the northeastern border of Jordan and close to Syria and Iraq, has long been used by US forces for monitoring and operational purposes. Notably, in January 2024, it came under a drone attack that resulted in the deaths of three American soldiers.

Camp Arifjan (Kuwait)

 

The US maintains a significant military presence in Kuwait under the 1991 Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) and the 2013 Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA).

As of January 2025, according to reports, there are nearly 14,000 US military personnel stationed at various military installations in Kuwait, primarily at Camp Arifjan.

Camp Arifjan, located south of Kuwait, is a massive US Army base stretching about 100 square kilometers and represents a potential target in the event of US aggression against Iran.

The camp serves as a forward logistics base for the US Army, supporting operations across the region. It has pre-fabricated concrete barracks, dining facilities, and recreational amenities and also features the Patton Army Heliport, supporting various aviation activities.

Other US facilities in Kuwait include Ali Al Salem Air Base, 37 kilometers from the Iraqi border, located by the Kuwait Air Force with support from the US Air Force. It serves as the main site for air operations in the region. Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base is another base that features runways approximately 3,000 meters in length.

Camp Buehring, formerly known as Camp Udairi, is located in the northwestern region of Kuwait and serves as a staging and training area for American forces preparing for hostile military operations in the region.

Camp Patriot is a joint facility supporting both US and Kuwaiti naval operations and Camp Spearhead serves as a logistical hub facilitating the movement of personnel and equipment.

These bases, especially the latter with B-1 Lancer bombers, F-22 Raptor fighters, and Patriot missile batteries, also represent the potential targets for Iran.

Ain al-Assad Airbase (Iraq)

 

Although the US military presence in Iraq has lessened over the years, the Arab country continues to be a pivot for US military operations in the Persian Gulf region. The US military continues to have several bases in the country, used for destabilizing activities.

One of the main bases in the country, which came under Iranian missiles in January 2020, is Ain al-Assad, located in Al Anbar governorate and operational since 2013.

It serves as a key hub for the US military in Iraq and is used for hostile military missions not only in the Arab country but beyond as well.

Al-Haris base in Erbil governorate has been in operation since 2013 and serves as a strategic military site for the occupation army for operations across the region.

Other US bases in the country include Camp Teji north of Baghdad, Joint Security Station Falcon in the Al-Rashid district of Baghdad and Forward Operating Base Abu Ghraib in Anbar province.

All these US military installations are within the reach of almost all Iranian missiles and drones in the event of any foolhardy US military adventure against the Islamic Republic.

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