On July 17, an Iranian missile strike killed three U.S. servicemembers at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, a stark reminder of the cost of President Donald Trump’s war of choice in the Middle East. Their deaths were avoidable, just as the strategy that put them in harm’s way was and remains reversible. Such forward deployments are always a “safe” option until missiles and drones rain down, highlighting the importance of withdrawing American troops from the region and ending this disastrous war.
The Trump administration is reportedly moving assets and troops further from its forward bases lining the Persian Gulf, which have faced the brunt of Iranian attacks. That includes Jordan and Israel. However, as the strike on Muwaffaq Salti highlights, these bases hardly present a more secure option for such deployments.
The United States has at least 32 major military installations and at least 50,000 troops positioned throughout the Middle East, with many more locations not disclosed to the public. Notable sites include Central Command’s regional headquarters at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters at the Naval Support Activity base in Bahrain, and Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. Kuwait hosts the Ali Al Salem Air Base and Camp Arifjan, while Saudi Arabia hosts the Prince Sultan Air Base. All have been regularly targeted in the war, with Kuwait and the UAE sites of particular focus for Iran.
These security partnerships, which have largely secured the rule of repressive dictatorships in the Gulf and in countries like Jordan while providing a shield to Israel by pressuring Iran, generally gave Washington a degree of influence over the energy markets that helped drive economic growth.
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