NYT: Hundreds of US troops relocated as Trump weighs strike on Iran

Hundreds of U.S. troops have been relocated from key American bases in the Middle East amid the largest U.S. military buildup in the region in two decades, according to U.S. officials cited by The New York Times, as President Trump weighs the possibility of a new military campaign against Iran.

U.S. officials said that hundreds of troops had been moved from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and a cluster of U.S. bases in Bahrain that house the Navy’s Fifth Fleet for other missions and operations. The redeployments come as the Pentagon positions ships, fighter jets, bombers, drones, surveillance aircraft and air defence systems across the region, in what officials see as preparation for a potential conflict that could extend beyond last year’s 12-day war.

President Trump is considering committing the United States to another military campaign against Iran, a move that carries the risk of igniting a conflict that could prove longer and deadlier than previous hostilities. On February 20, he told reporters he was weighing a limited military strike aimed at pressuring Tehran into a deal.

The buildup underscores growing concerns within the Pentagon about the safety of the 30,000 to 40,000 U.S. troops stationed at 13 bases across the Middle East, including in Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Officials have been rushing additional air defence batteries to the region to bolster protections.

Iran launched missiles at U.S. forces at Al Udeid Air Base last June but privately warned American and Qatari officials in advance. A senior Pentagon official acknowledged earlier this week that this time could be different, warning that U.S. troops could face greater risk if the United States — rather than Israel — initiates the strikes.

In a letter dated February 19 to the United Nations secretary general, the head of Iran’s U.N. mission warned that if Iran was attacked, then “all bases, facilities, and assets of the hostile force in the region would constitute legitimate targets,” and that the “United States would bear full and direct responsibility for any unpredictable and uncontrolled consequences.”

Publicly, Trump administration officials maintain that they are pursuing a diplomatic resolution that would see Iran accept new restrictions on its nuclear programme. Privately, however, officials told The New York Times that it remains unclear what Iran could offer in the near term to dissuade the president from authorising another military operation.

By Sabina Mammadli