Where are US military bases in Middle East? Full breakdown

Iran has responded to what it described as unprovoked military aggression by the United States (U.S.) and Israel by launching barrages of missiles at Israel and countries hosting the U.S. bases in the Middle East.

The U.S. and Israel launched a joint military operation, which Israel named Operation Roaring Lion and the U.S. named Operation Epic Fury, targeting the Islamic Republic’s leadership and key military installations on Saturday, February 28, 2026.

The attack was launched despite the U.S. and Iran officials agreeing to continue nuclear negotiations after the “longest and most serious” round in Oman yesterday.

The projectiles from Iran forced several nations to close their airspace. 

Videos circulating on social media show the impacts of Iranian strikes in different countries, including the U.S. naval base hosting the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and other bases in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

The only country that Iran did not include its retaliatory strikes was Oman, which was likely spared because of its diplomatic role.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the U.S. operates several permanent and temporary military bases on at least 19 locations in the region, eight of which are permanent.

Here’s a detailed breakdown:

According to Al Jazeera, there are around 40,000 to 50,000 U.S. troops stationed at bases across the Middle East. 

These bases serve as critical hubs for air and naval operations, regional logistics, intelligence gathering and force projection.