On August 18, The Washington Post reported, citing eight officials and insiders, that after months of Iranian attacks that have damaged American military bases across the region, the Pentagon has launched a review—though not yet officially formalized—to reassess the scale of U.S. military deployment in the Middle East, including whether to reduce forces stationed in the Gulf.
Two people familiar with the evaluation revealed that one of the key topics under scrutiny at the Department of Defense is the feasibility of pulling troops out of the Persian Gulf. These sources noted that American overseas military installations in the region have been hit repeatedly by Iranian strikes for months, and the damage suffered has handed the Pentagon a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to rethink the U.S. military posture in the Gulf—rather than simply rebuilding damaged facilities on their original sites before the war.
The report states that the Joint Chiefs of Staff and U.S. Central Command are studying the matter. A Pentagon official, who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the assessment, said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not yet ordered a formal force deployment review, and the current analysis is only “prudent contingency planning” that will inform the White House’s decision on whether to rebuild damaged bases.
The discussions also involve General Bradley Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command. According to one U.S. official, he supports shifting American forces westward from the Persian Gulf. A Central Command spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.
U.S. media reports indicate that as early as February, just before the conflict began, Central Command had already concluded that Gulf bases were highly vulnerable to Iranian missiles and drone attacks, making it impossible to maintain normal garrison levels, and subsequently withdrew large numbers of personnel from several installations. One source familiar with the troop adjustment plans revealed that some of the redeployments away from major Gulf bases may be extended long-term after the war.
“Iran expects us to stay in our traditional strongholds,” the insider said, declining to share specifics to avoid endangering American personnel. “But we’re not going to be there anymore.”