By Staff, Agencies

Sustained Iranian strikes are crippling US military presence in West Asia, forcing troops to abandon major bases and operate from makeshift sites across the region.

The New York Times reported that repeated Iranian missile and drone strikes have forced large numbers of US troops into hotels and office spaces, turning parts of their military effort into a makeshift, remote operation.

The report came following multiple warnings by Iranian officials, including Lieutenant Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, of US troops' use of civilian areas, including hotels, to set up make-shift operations rooms.

On March 1, six US Army soldiers were killed in a makeshift command center in Kuwait's Port of Shuaiba, in another proven instance of the weaponization of civilian infrastructure by US forces.

While fighter pilots and air crews continue to operate from active airfields, according to the NYT, much of the land-based military apparatus has been forced into decentralized and less capable configurations, complicating command, control, and coordination.

Iran’s retaliatory campaign, launched in response to joint US-Israeli aggression, targeted American military bases and infrastructure across the Gulf. Kuwaiti bases, including Ali Al-Salem and Camp Buehring, were heavily damaged, while Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base lost radar, communications, and hangars.

In Bahrain, the US Navy Fifth Fleet’s communications were crippled, and Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Airbase suffered destroyed refueling aircraft and casualties.

These precise strikes exposed the fragility of US and Israeli power and underscored Iran’s ability to challenge their presence across the region.

The recent relocation of US troops highlights Washington’s deep vulnerabilities in West Asia. Before the conflict, around 40,000 US forces were stationed in the region, but Iranian responses have forced hasty redeployments—some as far as Europe—while others remain in the area without the protection of established bases.

US officials admit that operating without fixed infrastructure hampers their ability to use heavy and sensitive equipment, weakening their military effectiveness. The conflict has also exposed poor US planning: the administration failed to reduce personnel or alert civilians before hostilities, leaving forces and assets exposed to Iranian retaliation.

CENTCOM reports 13 US fatalities and 290 injuries, a stark reminder of the cost of Washington’s regional overreach.