As the war between Israel and Hamas escalates, the United States risks becoming embroiled in a broader conflict that could involve some of the more than 40,000 U.S. troops stationed in the region.
As Axios notes, this is also significant because U.S. troops and defense contractors in Iraq and Syria have suffered more than a dozen attacks by Iranian-backed militant groups since Hamas' surprise attack on Israeli civilians and soldiers on October 7.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned of “the prospect of a significant escalation of attacks against our troops and our people across the region.”
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The attacks, as well as a broader war, could reverse efforts in recent years to reduce the U.S. presence in the Middle East as part of a strategic pivot toward the Pacific.
Positioning of US troops at the Closed Convergence / Infographic: Axios
In addition to US troops in permanent locations, there are also US troops on the move. The Pentagon has previously deployed or prepared to deploy thousands of troops.
These include two aircraft carrier groups of about 7,500 people each and two US Navy amphibious assault ships carrying thousands of Marines.
Another ship, USS Carney, intercepted three missiles over the Red Sea that were “potentially” aimed at targets in Israel.
Lloyd Austin also put about 2 thousand people on high alert.
The troops sent to the region are not expected to be in combat roles, although the White House has discussed the possibility of using military force if Lebanon-based Hezbollah opens a new war front.
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US troops in Iraq and Syria
Since October 17, U.S. troops stationed in Syria have been the target of at least three missile and drone attacks, and U.S. troops stationed in Iraq have been targeted at least 10 times by missiles and drones, according to the Pentagon.
No American troops were killed, but at least 21 people were slightly injured.
About 900 troops are in Syria to conduct counter-terrorism operations against ISIS.
About 100 of them support the Free Syrian Army, a coalition of opposition militias in Syria's ongoing civil war.
The US Department of Defense does not disclose the exact number of troops in Iraq , but in 2021 it said the number of personnel had been reduced to 2,500.
In July 2021, U.S. and Iraqi officials agreed to transition the U.S. military presence in the country to a purely noncombat advisory role, marking the official end of the U.S. combat mission in the country.
The troops currently train and advise the Iraqi armed forces and provide intelligence to the fight against ISIS.
US troops in Israel and Jordan
Today it is unknown how many American troops are stationed in Israel , but the United States maintains at least one military base in this country.
Codenamed Object 512, the base is believed to house a radar surveillance system capable of detecting and tracking ballistic missile threats against the United States.
Regarding Jordan , despite the fact that the presence of the US military is a sensitive internal issue in Jordanian politics, as of June 2023 there were about 2.9 thousand military personnel there at the request of the Jordanian government.
They were stationed there to support Jordan's operations against ISIS and enhance its security and regional stability.
Jordanian airbases in particular play an important role in US intelligence missions in Syria and Iraq.
Photo: Getty Images
Qatar hosts US troops and Hamas leaders
Qatar , which is a major non-NATO ally of the United States, plays a critical role in US military strategy in the region.
At least 8,000 U.S. troops are stationed at the massive Al Udeid airbase southwest of Doha, home to the regional headquarters of U.S. Central Command.
The air base is the largest US military installation in the Middle East, although it also hosts the Qatari Air Force and air forces from other countries, including Britain.
On the other hand, Qatar has been allowing the Hamas political office to operate in Doha for more than ten years. It employs several senior Hamas officials, including the organization's supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh.
Qatar has been heavily criticized for hosting the office, but it says it allows it to mediate between Hamas and the West and could help bring peace between Israel and Palestine.
However, US officials recently said that Qatar may reconsider its presence in the country after the release of more than 200 hostages taken by Palestinian militants, as reported by the Washington Post.
Major hubs in the Persian Gulf and Turkey
As of 2022, there were more than 9,000 American military personnel in Bahrain , serving at the NSA Bahrain naval base, which is the headquarters of the US Naval Forces Central Command and the US Fifth Fleet.
It is the only permanent U.S. coastal naval base in the Middle East, and Bahrain's Khalifa bin Salman port is one of the few facilities in the Persian Gulf capable of hosting U.S. aircraft carriers and amphibious ships.
Bahrain has also received major non-NATO ally status, allowing it to purchase some weapons and conduct defense research with the United States.
In addition, thousands of American troops have been stationed in Kuwait since 1991, when a multinational coalition led by the United States expelled Iraqi troops from the country in the first Gulf War.
During the Iraq War, Kuwait also served as a major logistics base for American and coalition forces.
In 2021, there were 13,500 US troops and thousands of pieces of equipment in Kuwait, primarily at Camp Arifjan and Ali es Salem Air Base.
The country, which is not a major NATO ally, also hosts thousands of troops from Germany, Japan and South Korea.
In Saudi Arabia , as of December 2022, there were more than 2.7 thousand American military personnel who were engaged in training, advising and assisting the armed forces of this country, as well as protecting US interests in the region from Iran and its supporters.
According to the White House, the military personnel maintain air and missile defense systems and support the operation of military aviation.
In 2021, US President Joe Biden's administration ended Saudi support for offensive operations against Yemen-based, Iran-backed Houthi rebels, although the US continues to provide defensive support.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has for many years been one of the key allies of the United States in the Middle East, where up to 3.5 thousand American troops are stationed.
They are primarily based at Al Dhafra Air Base, home to the Gulf Air Warfare Center, a regional air and missile defense training center jointly operated by the UAE and the United States.
The country's ports are also critical to the U.S. Navy, as they collectively home to more ships than any other port outside the United States.
Several hundred troops, mostly from the US Air Force, are stationed in Oman .
The country allows the U.S. Air Force to make thousands of overflights and hundreds of landings a year, and U.S. ships can make 80 port calls annually. In 2019, access to the port was expanded.
Earlier this year, the United States deployed additional destroyers and fighter jets to the Oman area in response to the Iranian Navy's seizure of merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.
In Turkey , a NATO member, the United States stationed more than 1 thousand troops, mainly at an air base near the city of Adana and at an air station near Izmir.
