Amid shifting military and political dynamics across the Middle East, the United States is actively evaluating a major restructuring of its military footprint in the Gulf region, with a potential relocation of some key assets to Israel following a series of damaging Iranian retaliatory strikes earlier this year, according to a recent exclusive report from The Wall Street Journal.
Under the proposal being discussed, the US would revamp its long-standing naval base in Bahrain, while drawing down its permanent military presence in both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Two anonymous senior officials cited in the WSJ investigation confirmed that shifting a portion of Gulf-based operations to Israeli territory is a core option under consideration.
The discussion of this major strategic shift comes in direct response to escalating regional hostilities that unfolded earlier this year. On February 28, the US and Israel launched a coordinated military offensive against Iran, framed by US leadership as a necessary action to eliminate what former President Donald Trump described as imminent threats posed by the Iranian regime. The primary public objectives of the campaign included the complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear program and key military infrastructure.
In retaliation for the joint attack, Iran launched targeted strikes against American military assets across the Gulf region between late February and June. The US Navy’s central base in Bahrain, a critical hub for American naval operations in the Middle East, was hit repeatedly. The WSJ documented extensive damage to the site, including severe harm to the base’s command headquarters and at least a dozen other supporting structures. To date, the Pentagon has declined to publicly confirm the full scale of destruction caused by the strikes.
Parallel to these military deliberations, shifting public opinion within the United States has emerged as a major political factor, following the signing of the 60-day Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between Washington and Tehran. The ceasefire pact paused active hostilities to allow space for negotiations on a permanent end to the conflict, and has coincided with a sharp turn in public sentiment against the war, new polling data shows.
A national public opinion survey conducted by Quinnipiac University finds that 60 percent of registered American voters now view the US military campaign against Iran as “not worth it.” The poll also reveals that the temporary ceasefire has eroded public confidence in the US’s ability to achieve its core war goals: 61 percent of respondents believe it remains likely that Iran will eventually develop nuclear weapons, despite the joint offensive.
Notably, this skepticism crosses traditional partisan lines in American politics. Majorities of both Democratic and Republican voters agree that Iran is still either somewhat or very likely to pursue a nuclear weapons program, marking a rare point of consensus between the two major political camps on a divisive foreign policy issue.
This reporting is part of independent coverage of the Middle East, North Africa and broader global affairs from Middle East Eye, an outlet focused on original, on-the-ground analysis of the region.