Iran war revives debate over US base placement in the Gulf

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait — Rising US losses in its war with Iran have reopened debate over the geographic placement of American bases across the Gulf, according to an analysis published by the Council on Foreign Relations. Writing in the council's journal, Elliott Abrams, a former deputy national security adviser, said the conflict has exposed a structural gap in the United States' regional military posture, leaving key facilities within short range of Iranian strikes. Abrams said Iranian attacks have so far killed at least 17 US soldiers and wounded roughly 500 others, with equipment losses valued in the billions of dollars. The analysis noted that several of America's most important bases sit only a short distance from Iran. Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, home to US Central Command's forward headquarters, lies about 100 kilometers from Iran, while naval facilities in Bahrain are roughly 206 kilometers away and Al Udeid air base in Qatar is about 274 kilometers away. By comparison, the distance between Iran and Israel is roughly 1,770 kilometers. Retired General Frank McKenzie, a former commander of US Central Command, said positioning the forward headquarters so close to Iran no longer matches current military realities. The analysis also reported that some personnel and aircraft have been pulled out of Al Udeid and relocated to Israel's Ben Gurion and Ramon bases, while the use of facilities in Jordan has been expanded.