What are US troops doing in the Middle East and where are they?

The United States and Iran are ready to talk over the weekend in Oman, as President Donald Trump reiterated this week threats of military action against Tehran if the country does not agree with limits on its nuclear program.

Western countries suspect that Iran is looking for nuclear weapons, which Iran denies.

If Iran does not make a deal, Trump said, “There will be bombing, and it will be a bombardment like they have never seen before.”

See below what we know about the US military presence in the Middle East.

Where are the US bases in the Middle East?

The US have been operating in the Middle East for decades and the largest of them, based on the size of the garrison, is the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, built in 1996.

Other countries where the US has troops include Barein, Kuweit, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

Currently, there are about 30,000 US military personnel across the region, a sharp drop from the time when US forces were involved in important operations. There were over 100,000 US soldiers in Afghanistan in 2011 and more than 160,000 in Iraq in 2007.

The US has about 2,000 military personnel in Syria in small bases, especially in the northeast of the country. A garrison of about 2,500 US military personnel is parked in Iraq.

What reinforcements were sent by Trump?

The Pentagon said it has sent additional forces to the Middle East in recent weeks.

He also transferred up to six B-2 type bombers in March to a British and American military base on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, which, experts, would place them in an ideal position to quickly intervene in the Middle East.

US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, said he would have to decide whether to interpret it as a message to Tehran.

The Pentagon also sent other aircraft and more air defense resources, including a Patriot Antimissile Defense Battalion.

Two US aircraft carriers are in the Middle East and each carries thousands of military and tens of aircraft.

Why are US troops parked in the region?

US troops are parked in the Middle East for various reasons.

In some countries, such as Iraq, US troops are fighting Islamic State militants and local forces. But in recent years, Iran -supported combatants have attacked the US people, who retaliated.

Jordan, an important US ally in the region, has hundreds of US instructors and they perform extensive exercises throughout the year.

US troops are in other countries, such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as a security guarantee, for training and to assist in regional military actions as necessary. The country is also conducting a bombing campaign against the Houthi forces supported by Iran in Yemen.

Are US bases in the region frequently attacked?

US bases are highly protected facilities, including air defense systems for missile or drone protection. Facilities in countries such as Qatar, Barein, Saudi Arabia and Kuweit are usually not attacked.

But US troops in Iraq and Syria have suffered frequent attacks in recent years.

Since 2023, the Houthi movement has launched more than 100 ships on the coast of Yemen, which, according to them, went in solidarity with the Palestinians because of the Israeli war in Gaza with Hamas militants supported by Iran.

These attacks include drones and missiles against US Navy ships in the region, but there is no successful attempt.

This content was originally published in what US troops are doing in the Middle East and where are they? on the CNN Brazil website.

Source: CNN Brasil

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