The US is assessing whether to reduce its military presence in the Persian Gulf after the war with Iran, The Washington Post reported, citing officials familiar with the discussions.
Planners are considering whether damaged bases should be fully rebuilt or replaced with a smaller, more dispersed network.
The discussions remain preliminary, and no changes have been approved.
CENTCOM normally stations about 40,000 personnel at nearly 20 sites stretching from Jordan to Oman.
These include the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and major US Army and Air Force facilities in Kuwait.
Iranian attacks have reportedly damaged or destroyed more than 200 US facilities during the war, killing six service members at Kuwait’s Port Shuaiba in March and four more in Jordan in July.
Any US military force reduction could have wider consequences for Gulf countries, which have long relied on US forces and air defenses.
Arms sales and intelligence sharing could continue with fewer American troops in the region, but replacing their defensive role would require time and substantial investment.
Planning is further complicated by the continuing hostilities.
A preliminary peace agreement between Washington and Tehran reached in June collapsed, and the US and Iran have since exchanged intermittent strikes.
(Representative image only.) US soldiers in Jordan. Photo: KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP
Possible Relocation of US Forces
Ahead of the war in February, CENTCOM had already lowered staffing at several bases considered particularly exposed to Iranian missile and drone attacks.
According to the report, some of those changes could remain in effect after the fighting ends.
One option under discussion is moving some US forces westward from the Persian Gulf. Former US diplomat Michael Ratney suggested Jordan, Israel, and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.
Other proposals include closing exposed facilities in Kuwait and concentrating forces at Prince Sultan Air Base near Riyadh.
Some analysts have also recommended expanding the US presence at Israel’s Ovda Airbase.
A member of the US Air Force near a Patriot missile battery at Prince Sultan air base in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia, 2020. Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty
Costs and Impact
Since the conflict began, Washington has sent additional warships, combat aircraft, and air-defense systems to the region while conducting more than 13,000 strikes on Iran.
According to The Washington Post, the Pentagon estimated that the war could cost up to $37.5 billion by the end of September, excluding the cost of rebuilding damaged military bases.
The American Enterprise Institute has estimated that repairing damaged US facilities could require another $5 billion.
The war has also placed pressure on US air-defense stocks.
American forces have fired more than 1,000 Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors to protect bases and other regional targets.
Eighteen US service members have been killed during the conflict.
More than 1,300 civilians have died in Iran since the war began, according to figures presented to the United Nations.