Iran claims it harbours no hostility towards the countries of the Persian Gulf and is committed to good neighbourly relations, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi said on Monday. His remarks came amid a barrage of missile and drone strikes launched across the Gulf, condemned by regional governments as reckless and destabilising.
Arakchi insisted Tehran’s actions are defensive and aimed at US military bases, but several Gulf states and the United States have described the attacks as a grave violation of sovereignty and international law.
The escalation followed US and Israeli air strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior officials, prompting Tehran’s retaliation. Iran says it has fired dozens of drones and ballistic missiles at US targets in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian attacks have raised fears of wider conflict and destabilisation. Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers condemned the strikes as ‘deliberate and reprehensible’, saying they endangered civilian lives, damaged infrastructure, disrupted air and maritime navigation and undermined regional security.
Despite Tehran’s insistence that its targets are US bases, much of the Gulf has been affected. Air defence systems have intercepted large waves of Iranian projectiles, highlighting a serious risk to civilian areas and critical facilities.
But where are all the US military facilities located in the Persian Gulf and the broader Middle East? Reuters provides the following overview.
Bahrain:
This is the headquarters of the United States Fifth Fleet, whose area of responsibility includes the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean.
Qatar:
The 24-hectare Udeid Air Base, located in the desert near the capital Doha, is the forward headquarters of the US Central Command, which directs US military operations in a territory stretching from Egypt in the west to Kazakhstan in the east. The largest US base in the Middle East has approximately 10,000 troops.
Kuwait:
There are several facilities, including Camp Arifjan, the forward headquarters of the US Central Command, and Ali Salem Air Base, located about 40 kilometres from the Iraqi border and known by the nickname ‘The Rock’ because of its isolated and harsh environment.
Camp Buehring was established during the 2003 Iraq War and is a base for US Army units deployed in Iraq and Syria, according to the US Army’s website.
United Arab Emirates:
Dhafra Air Base is located south of the United Arab Emirates' capital, Abu Dhabi. It is a key center for the US Air Force, which supports missions against the Islamic State as well as reconnaissance deployments throughout the region, according to US Air Force Central Command. The Americans share it with the UAE Air Force.
Although not a formal military base, Dubai's Jebel Ali Port is the US Navy's largest port in the Middle East, regularly hosting US aircraft carriers and other vessels.
Iraq:
According to the White House, the US is present at the Ain al-Asad air base in the western province of Anbar, where it supports Iraqi security forces and contributes to the NATO mission. Iranian missile attacks targeted the base in 2020 in retaliation for the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by the United States.
The Irbil air base, located in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq, serves as a hub for US and coalition forces conducting training and combat exercises. The base supports US military efforts by providing a secure location for training, intelligence sharing and logistical coordination in northern Iraq, according to a congressional report.
Saudi Arabia:
US troops in Saudi Arabia, numbering 2 321 in 2024 according to a White House letter, work in coordination with the Saudi Arabian government, provide air and missile defence capabilities and support the operation of US military aircraft.
Some units are located approximately 60 kilometres south of Riyadh at Prince Sultan Air Base, which supports US Army assets, including Patriot missile batteries and high-altitude terminal defence systems.
Jordan:
Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, located in Azraq, 100 kilometres northeast of the capital Amman, is home to the US Central Air Force’s 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, which, according to a 2024 Congressional Library report, participates in missions in the Levant.
(reuters, im)
