The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush is seen moored in the Mediterranean Sea off the Israeli port of Haifa on July 1, 2017. The 1,092 feet (333 metres) carrier which can carry 6,000 personnel, is one of the worlds largest warships. / AFP PHOTO / JACK GUEZ (Photo credit should read JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
The United States is reportedly exploring the possibility of relocating some of its bases in the Middle East to Israel. The U.S.-Israel war against Iran and its aftermath may see Israel living up more than ever to its reputation, which it embraced and promoted for decades, as the equivalent of an unsinkable American aircraft carrier in that strategic region.
The unprecedented joint U.S.-Israel air campaign launched against Iran on February 28 saw Tehran unleash unprecedented drone and missile attacks in response. Tehran targeted U.S. military facilities in the Arab Gulf countries, with the United Arab Emirates facing more attacks than even Israel. Post-war satellite images revealed substantial damage to these regional bases that would cost billions of dollars to repair.
Consequently, the United States is reassessing its military posture in the region, The Wall Street Journal reported on June 27. The report states that the U.S. military is presently “considering revamping” the naval base on the island kingdom of Bahrain, which sustained more damage than Washington has hitherto disclosed, and to reduce its forces in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Even after the April 8 ceasefire, Kuwait and Bahrain have endured intermittent Iranian attacks during tit-for-tat clashes with U.S. forces.
