Are America’s vast Gulf bases worth rebuilding?
Iran’s attacks exposed vulnerability of US military footprint spanning the region since the 1990s.
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American military operations enforcing US Central Command’s naval blockade against Iran in July.
PHOTO: AFP
Jacob Judah
For almost four decades, the American presence in the Middle East has been anchored by a chain of sprawling bases stretching across the Gulf. But in six months of war, Iran has cast their future into doubt.
Tehran, which battered the US facilities with short-range missiles and drones, quickly exposed how vulnerable the vast installations had become when positioned so close to Iran’s shores. The Islamic Republic forced Washington to move soldiers and aircraft beyond its reach to Israel, Jordan and farther afield.
