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A new round of tensions between the US and Iran has been sparked by a drone attack on a military base in Jordan on Sunday that killed three US soldiers.
Washington attributed the attack to "Iranian-backed" Iraqi armed groups, and US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he had decided the US would retaliate, while Iran announced it would not stand by in response to an attack on them.
The base where the attack took place is also known as "Tower 22" and is one of several US military bases in the Middle East. Therefore, taking into account the increasingly delicate situations that are being created in the region, it is worth examining in more detail the US presence in the Middle East.
In which areas are there US bases?
The US has had bases in the Middle East for decades. In fact, their presence in the region peaked in 2011 with more than 100,000 US troops in Afghanistan, as well as in 2007, when their military personnel in Iraq exceeded 160,000.
Although today the total number of troops is much smaller, after the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, there are still about 30,000 US troops in the entire region. In addition, after the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in October, the US temporarily sent thousands more troops to the region, as well as warships.
The largest American base in the Middle East was built in 1996 in Qatar and is known as "Al Udeid Air Base". Other countries in which there is a US military presence include Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
In addition, the US has about 900 troops in Syria, in small bases such as "Al Saddi" and in the oil field "Al Omar", mainly in the northeast of the country. There is also a small outpost near the border with Iraq and Jordan, also known as "Al Tanf Guard".
In Iraq, US military personnel number 2,500 and are stationed at facilities such as Union III and Ain al-Assad Air Base. However, it is emphasized that talks about the future of these troops are ongoing.
Why are there US troops in the area?
US troops are in the region for a variety of reasons and, with the exception of Syria, they are there with the permission of each country's government.
In some countries like Iraq and Syria, US troops are there to fight Islamic State militants while also advising local forces. However, they have been attacked by Iranian-backed forces in recent years and subsequently taken action against them.
In Jordan, which is a major US ally in the region, there are hundreds of US military trainers who conduct extensive exercises throughout the year.
In other cases, such as that of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the presence of US troops is intended to reassure allies, train and participate in operations in the region as needed.
Are there foreign military bases in the US?
Although Washington's allies sometimes send their troops to the US for training or to work with US troops, there are no foreign bases inside the United States.
"Tower 22"
The base in Jordan, where a drone strike took place on Sunday, killing three US soldiers, is a strategically important base located in the northeastern tip of the country, on the borders with Syria and Iraq.
Two officials said US air defense systems mistook the drone that carried out the attack as a "friendly" drone returning to base and therefore did not intercept it.
They also noted that it was not yet clear which country was behind the deadly attack, although the US president has blamed Iran-backed groups for the attack.
Tower 22 is close to the Al Tanf garrison, which is located on the other side of the border with Syria and houses a small number of American soldiers. Tanf has played a key role in the battle against Islamic State, as well as in the US strategy to contain Iran's military expansion in eastern Syria.
Are the attacks common?
US bases are well guarded, including air defense systems that protect them from missiles or drones. Facilities in countries such as Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are not usually attacked.
However, US troops in Iraq and Syria have faced frequent attacks in recent years. It is even noted that since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, US forces have received more than 160 attacks by Iranian-backed militias, resulting in the wounding of around 80 soldiers before Sunday's attack on "Tower 22", in which approximately 40 other attacks have occurred.
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