The United States currently maintains a robust military footprint across the Middle East, with more than 40,000 troops stationed on land and sea, according to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
These forces are spread across nearly 30 bases in countries such as Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, U.S. troops operate from allied bases in Turkey and Djibouti, according to dw.com
Although the current troop count is slightly lower than during the peak of the last Israel-Iran escalation in October, it still represents a significant increase from previous years, when around 30,000 U.S. soldiers were deployed in the region.
The largest concentration of U.S. air power is at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar — a key regional hub also used by British and Australian forces.
The base, operated by the Qatari Air Force, was recently targeted by Iranian missiles in a symbolic attack that caused no casualties, as Iran reportedly alerted U.S. forces in advance and the missiles were intercepted.
In Iraq, the U.S. retained forces following the 2003 invasion, primarily in Erbil to help protect Kurdish and Yazidi communities. In neighboring Syria, American special forces have been deployed since 2015 in Kurdish-controlled areas, particularly Rojava, which faced heavy attacks from ISIS during the Syrian civil war.
While Iran has attempted limited strikes — such as the one on Al-Udeid — its capacity for large-scale attacks remains questionable.
Fabian Hinz, a missile and drone expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), noted that although Iran can produce up to 50 ballistic missiles a month, this rate is insufficient to sustain prolonged operations, such as its recent campaign against Israel.
Despite Tehran’s rhetoric, the overwhelming U.S. military presence encircling Iran underscores the strategic challenge it faces in escalating conflict in the region.
