U.S. MILITARY FOOTPRINT IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Bases, ports and other installations where U.S. troops are stationed or where U.S. military personnel pass through. Troop numbers are approximate. They do not reflect deployment in recent days.

1. Afghanistan: 8 475
2. Turkey: 1 700 Turkey is the only NATO member in the Middle East region. Its geographic position was used as a point of strategic leverage against the Soviet Union during the Cold War, particularly with regards to nuclear forces. It has also served as a critical launching point for U.S. military operations in the Middle East. Though Turkey has been historically vital for America’s nuclear deterrence mission, strained ties with the Erdogan government have brought this role into question. 
3. Syria: 800
4. Iraq: 5 000
5. Israel: Radar Instllations
6. Jordan: 2 300 The U.S. presence in Jordan has expanded with the evolution of Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIS, with forces located at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. Publicly available commercial satellite imagery indicates the presence of potential U.S. reaper drones at other bases in Jordan, but this is not acknowledged by the United States. U.S. military cooperation with Jordan is close. Most recently, U.S. troops participated in the “Eager Lion” exercises, involving several thousand U.S. Marines training alongside Jordanian troops.
7. Kuwait: 13 000 The U.S. has maintained a Defense Cooperation Agreement with Kuwait since 1991 Persian Gulf War. As such, Kuwait holds major non-NATO U.S. ally status. Since 2011, troops garrisoned in Kuwait are primarily intended to support Operation Spartan Shield, a mission to “deter regional aggression and stabilize countries within the region. 
8. Bahrain: 7 000 The United States operates in Bahrain by means of a Defense Cooperation Agreement signed in 1991,1 and a Status of Forces Agreement originally signed in 1971.2 There are over 7,000 U.S. military personnel based in Bahrain, and the U.S. has maintained a naval presence in the country since 1948. The U.S. 5th fleet is based in Bahrain, and patrols an area of responsibility covering the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Red Sea, and the Arabian Sea, including the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb.
9. Saudi Arabia: 3 000 The U.S. withdrew the vast majority of its forces in 2003, as the invasion of Iraq eliminated the need for a troop presence in Saudi Arabia. Today, many of the American military personnel still in Saudi Arabia are part of the U.S. Military Training Mission, and do not provide an operational combat capability. Undoubtedly, USMTM personnel travel and work at different Saudi bases to complete their mission, but the primary “basing” point is Eskan Village near Riyadh.
10. Qatar: 10 000 U.S. service personnel, mostly at Al Udeid Air Base. Since the 1990s, Qatari base construction strategy has been deliberately intended to attract the United States to its facilities. As the U.S. withdrew the majority of its forces from Saudi Arabia in 2003 following the initial invasion of Iraq, basing in Qatar allowed for the permanent redeployment of those assets. The U.S. has relied heavily on its basing in Qatar to conduct the counter-ISIS military mission, Operation Inherent Resolve. 
11. United Arab Emirates: 5 000 The U.S. maintains approximately 5,000 personnel in the UAE under a defense cooperation agreement. The security relationship between the U.S. and UAE is robust, and has featured combat operations in Afghanistan in which UAE aircraft provided close air support to American troops on the ground.
12. Oman: 600 The U.S. maintains an ability to use Omani bases through the Oman Facilities Access Agreement, originally signed in 1980, and most recently renewed in 2010.This accord made Oman the first country among the Persian Gulf States to explicitly partner militarily with the U.S. According to the agreement, the U.S. can request access to these facilities in advance for a specified purpose. Oman has allowed 5,000 aircraft overflights, 600 landings, and 80 port calls annually.