Pentagon weighs troop withdrawal from Persian Gulf after Iranian strikes damage US bases

The Pentagon is quietly exploring what would amount to one of the most consequential shifts in US military strategy in decades: pulling troops out of the Persian Gulf. After Iranian missile and drone strikes damaged at least 20 American military sites across Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE, Defense Department officials and US Central Command (CENTCOM) are now debating whether it makes more sense to rebuild what was destroyed or move forces somewhere Iran can’t reach them. The damage that forced the question The conflict, which the Pentagon has dubbed Operation Epic Fury, began on February 28, 2026, with joint US-Israeli military operations against Iran. Tehran’s retaliation has been anything but symbolic. Satellite imagery analysis has identified roughly 228 structures or pieces of military equipment hit by Iranian attacks across four countries. Dozens of US service members have been killed or wounded since February, and early cost estimates for the military campaign have already surpassed $5B. Some officials have described the situation as a “once-in-a-generation chance” to reshape the US regional military posture. Where forces might go The discussions, first reported by the W...