Which US bases 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.

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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.

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.

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Al Udeid Air Base (Qatar)

Al Udeid Air Base near Doha, 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.

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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.

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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.

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Al Dhafra Air Base (UAE)

Al Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi, 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).

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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.

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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)

Naval Support Activity 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.

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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.

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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)

Dimona Radar Facility in the occupied Palestinian territories

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.

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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 in the Indian Ocean

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.

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

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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)

Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in 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.

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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.

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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)

Camp Arifjan in 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.

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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)

 

Ain al-Assad Airbase in 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.

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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.

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Via https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/03/22/744853/trumps-gamble-which-us-bases-are-potential-targets-of-iranian-retaliatory-strikes