US mulling decrease in military footprint in Kuwait due to Iran operations: Report

The Pentagon is evaluating the possibility of scaling back the US military presence in Kuwait due to the substantial impact of losses attributed to Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone operations, according to a report.

“The attacks have made people in Kuwait think of the US presence as a liability, but also as absolutely necessary to defend Kuwait,” the Wall Street Journal quoted Douglas Silliman, a former US ambassador to Kuwait, as saying.

He added, “I think they are trying to figure out what the best way forward on defense is.”

For decades, Kuwait has served as a significant military base for the United States, following the expulsion of the Iraqi army by US forces in 1991.

Kuwait was utilized as a strategic launch point for the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, and it continued to support American troops stationed in the oil-rich Persian Gulf kingdom for the subsequent ten years.

Kuwait regarded the deployment of US troops as the most effective means of safeguarding its interests, while simultaneously assisting the US in demonstrating its military strength in the region.

Nonetheless, the relationship between Washington and Kuwait City is currently under reassessment.

Iran Army hits US base in Kuwait as satellite images show fresh damage

The Iranian Army says it has targeted key facilities at US-run Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait.

In response to the unprovoked war of aggression initiated by the US and Israel against Iran in late February, the Islamic Republic retaliated by launching extensive missile and drone strikes targeting US bases and assets in Kuwait and various Persian Gulf nations, which served as operational bases for the assault.

Multiple attacks by the Iranian Armed Forces have significantly impacted US military installations in Kuwait. One particular strike in March resulted in the deaths of six US soldiers.

“The question really is, if the Iran war continues, whether that large of a US presence still makes sense,” Elizabeth Dent, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) and a former Pentagon official, said.

On Friday, the Iranian Army targeted key US military facilities at an air base in Kuwait with kamikaze drones in retaliation for the latest US acts of aggression against Iran, including a deadly attack on Qeshm Island.

The Army stated that the strike was conducted in the 27th phase of Operation Thunderbolt, responding to the recent acts of aggression by the “terrorist US military” towards Iran and its “ferocious attack” on a residential property on Qeshm Island.

As per the statement, the Army’s explosive-laden drones attacked fighter jet hangars, satellite communication systems, and equipment depots at Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait.

According to the Army, the base has been instrumental in US aerial and surveillance operations, highlighting its function as one of the “essential hubs of air support” for the US military in addition to its operational role.

The statement denounced the United States’ assault on residential areas in Qeshm, labeling it “a clear breach of humanitarian principles” and “yet another instance of the war crimes committed by the treacherous enemy.”

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