US considering moving Gulf bases damaged by Iran to Israel
Submitted by
MEE staff
on
Fri, 06/26/2026 - 09:54
Officials suggest Israel could be new site for bases following Iran's retaliatory strikes earlier this year
Smoke rises from an area in the direction of Al Udeid Air Base, which houses the Qatar Emiri Air Force and foreign forces including US ones, in Doha on 28 February 2026 (Mahmud Hams/AFP)
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The US is considering moving some of its Gulf bases to Israel after they were attacked by Iran earlier this year.
A report in the Wall Street Journal says the US is considering refurnishing its base in Bahrain and winding down its presence in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Two officials cited in the report suggest the US could relocate some bases to Israel.
After the beginning of the US-Israeli attack on Iran on 28 February, the Islamic Republic launched retaliatory strikes on the Gulf.
The US Navy base in Bahrain was repeatedly targeted between late February and June, with the WSJ reporting extensive damage including to command headquarters and at least a dozen other buildings.
The Pentagon, however, has not acknowledged the extent of the destruction.
Meanwhile, in the US, public sentiment towards the Iran war appears to have shifted sharply after the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Iran, a pact to end hostilities for 60 days while the US and Iran negotiate terms for a permanent end to the war.
According to a national poll from Quinnipac University, 60 percent of American voters think US military action against Iran was "not worth it".
On 28 February, US President Donald Trump, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, began the US-Israeli war on Iran to "eliminate imminent threats from the Iranian regime". The total destruction of Iran's nuclear programme and military infrastructure was one of their primary stated objectives.
The poll shows that the subsequent deal has weakened perceptions of the US's ability to achieve its primary objective, with 61 percent believing it remains likely that Iran will develop nuclear weapons.
Democrats and Republicans are not as split on this, with a majority of both political camps believing that Iran is "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to still develop nuclear weapons.
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