PNN – Given that international law describes attacking a country’s nuclear facilities as a war crime, Iran’s legitimate right to respond to the recent US aggression on US bases is legally guaranteed.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, Al Jazeera news agency, in a report referring to the presence of US bases in the region as legitimate targets for Iran’s response to the US airstrike on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear sites, wrote that the Americans strengthened their military presence in the region after the Zionist regime’s attack on Iran. 
The US Department of Defense announced on June 16 that the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, the oldest aircraft carrier in the United States, has departed the South China Sea for the Middle East.
On June 19, a US military official announced the country’s plan to deploy the aircraft carrier USS Ford in Europe, saying that the ship is scheduled to be deployed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea near the occupied territories next week.
The Americans also added another destroyer a day later to the three destroyers they already have in the region and two in the Red Sea. The Wall Street Journal quoted an American official as saying that these destroyers are operating near Israel to be able to intercept Iranian missiles.
Coordinates of US military bases in the Middle East
The Americans have established many military bases in the Middle East for decades. Currently, more than 19 permanent or temporary bases in the region are managed by the Americans. 8 of these bases are permanent and are located in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Number of American troops in the region
The United States first deployed troops to the region in 1958 during the civil war in Lebanon. By mid-2025, the United States had announced that it would have between 40,000 and 50,000 troops in large, permanent bases and other dependent military areas. The largest number of US troops is stationed in bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. These centers serve as the main hub for air and naval operations, regional logistics services, intelligence gathering and force management.
Below are the detailed characteristics of a number of prominent American bases in the region:
Qatar Air Base: The largest US base in the region, built in 1996 with an area of ​​24 hectares and capable of hosting around 100 aircraft and drones. More than 10,000 US troops are stationed at this base and it is the headquarters of the US Central Command (CENTCOM).
Naval Support Base NSA: This base is a US naval base in Bahrain that currently houses about 9,000 military personnel. The base is the main hub of the US Fifth Fleet and works to provide security for US ships and naval units in the region.
Arifjan Base (Kuwait): This base is the main headquarters of the US Army, located 55 kilometers southeast of Kuwait City. The base was established in 1999 and is the main logistics and command center for US military forces in the region, especially in the area of ​​CENTCOM activities.
Al Dhafra Air Base (UAE): This base is a strategic hub whose mission is to gather intelligence and support airstrikes. The base is home to fighter jets such as the F-22, drones, and early warning and AWACS aircraft.
Erbil Air Base (Iraq): This base is used by American forces for operations, especially in northern Iraq and Syria.