After President Donald Trump announced the U.S. had struck Iranian nuclear sites late Saturday, thoughts turned to whether American troops in the region are suddenly in increased danger.
On Sunday, officials from the Iran-backed Iraqi militant group Kataib Hezbollah said terrorists will resume offensives against American service members if there is any intervention by Washington in the Israel-Iran conflict, according to Reuters.
‘We are closely monitoring the movements of the American enemy’s army in the region. If America intervenes in the war, we will act directly against its interests and bases spread across the region without hesitation,’ a statement from Kataib Hezbollah Secretary-General Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi said.
Geographically, American troops may be at risk based on their location.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters is located at Al Udeid Air Base, about 20 miles south of the Qatari capital of Doha. That major installation is only 300 miles from Iran.
Additionally, there are several U.S. military installations in Kuwait, which is close to the southern end of Iran, across a small piece of Iraq.
Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, Naval Support Activity Bahrain, is in the tiny country just across the Persian Gulf from Iran.
Additionally, a United Kingdom-owned island in the Indian Ocean — Diego Garcia — is a major U.S.-U.K. military installation about 2,300 miles south of Iran. While much farther away, that site is likely one of the most strategically-crucial bases in the southern hemisphere that also is key to Naval presence in the Mideast region.
Before the strike, Iran issued a clear message: Doing so will come with consequences. Iran has cautioned that the U.S. will suffer if it chooses to become involved in the conflict, and previously issued retaliatory strikes against bases where U.S. troops were housed after the U.S. killed a top Iranian general in 2020.
‘The Americans should know that any U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage,’ Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday, according to state media.
The Pentagon has bolstered its forces in the Middle East in light of the growing tensions, including sending the aircraft carrier Nimitz from the South China Sea to join the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in the Middle East.
The U.S. currently has more than 40,000 U.S. troops and Defense Department civilians stationed in the Middle East. Here are some of the countries where U.S. military personnel are based and could face heightened threats:
Iraq
Roughly 2,500 U.S. military personnel are stationed in Iraq as of September 2024, and are assigned to Combined Joint Task Force–Operation Inherent Resolve, according to the Department of Defense. Their role in Iraq involves advising and supporting partner forces in the region to defeat ISIS.
Following the 2020 U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Iraq, Iranian forces launched ballistic missile attacks at Erbil Air Base and Ain al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, where U.S. troops are stationed.
Jordan
About 350 U.S. troops are deployed to Jordan at a remote military base known as Tower 22, according to the Department of Defense.
In January 2024, three soldiers were killed and another 40 were injured when a one-way uncrewed aerial system struck Tower 22.
In May, ten New York Army National Guard soldiers were awarded the Purple Heart for the injuries they suffered in the attack. The Pentagon blamed an Iranian-backed militia for the attack.
Kuwait
The U.S. currently operates five bases in Kuwait: Camp Arifjan, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Camp Buehring, Camp Patriot and Camp Spearhead.
As of January, approximately 13,500 U.S. troops are based there and primarily are focused on eliminating the threat of ISIS, according to the U.S. State Department.
Qatar
Qatar hosts U.S. Central Command’s forward headquarters at Al Udeid Air Base, home of the Air Force’s 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, which Air Forces Central Command has dubbed the ‘largest and most diverse wing’ within the command. The wing includes airlift, aerial refueling intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and aeromedical evacuation assets, according to Air Forces Central Command.
Bahrain
Naval Forces Central Command is based out of Manama, Bahrain, where it spearheads a coalition of regional and international partners that are focused on supporting task forces targeting counterterrorism, counter-piracy and maritime security in the region.
The Navy first established a base in Bahrain in 1971, which has hosted Naval Forces Central Command since 1983.
United Arab Emirates
Just 20 miles south of the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi is Al Dhafra Air Base, home of the Air Force’s 380th Air Expeditionary Wing.
The wing includes unmanned aircraft including the RQ-4 Global Hawk, a remotely piloted surveillance aircraft.
