Military superpower: MAPS show US bases in the Middle East and around the world

Donald Trump says that, without an agreement, he could attack Iran within 15 days. US military bases in the Middle East are the focus of escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. The Iranian regime threatens to target these facilities if attacked, and a conflict between the countries could be close. Last Friday (20), Donald Trump confirmed that he is considering attacking targets in Iran. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The largest US base in the Middle East is in Qatar. It is Al Udeid, which houses around 10 thousand soldiers. Other bases in the region, mainly in Jordan, have been used to accumulate war jets for an eventual attack against Iran. Al Udeid, however, is just one piece of a much broader mechanism. The US has a global military presence and has war apparatus and troops on every continent in the world. There are around 170,000 troops stationed at around 800 military installations in dozens of countries with which the US has partnerships. Of these 800 installations, 128 of them are military bases, and they are distributed across 51 countries on five continents around the world, according to a 2024 survey by the North American Congress. Military bases tend to be larger in size and have infrastructure for housing troops, storing equipment and with defense and logistics functions. The positioning and distribution of these military installations and troops have fundamental strategic importance for the geopolitical intentions of the USA and serve mainly to contain its adversaries and project military power, according to Vitelio Brustolin, professor of International Relations at Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) and researcher at Harvard. In this report, you will see: US bases in the Middle East US bases in Europe and Greenland US bases around the world Bases in the Middle East The USA has 19 military bases in the Middle East, eight of them controlled by the country and another 11 with the presence of troops and military equipment, according to the US Congress. Kuwait: 5 bases; Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Syria: 2 bases each; Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Qatar: 1 base each. In January, countries on the Arabian Peninsula, which have some of the US’s biggest allies in the Middle East, banned the Trump administration from using their air and land spaces to launch an attack against Iran. This was the case with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates. These countries fear that US military aggression will lead to a major war in the Middle East. After all, Iran has promised to retaliate against any attack and bomb US air bases in the region. Rising tensions have put American bases in the Middle East on standby for a possible Iranian attack. Context: Al Udeid was attacked in 2025 by Iran in retaliation for US bombings of nuclear facilities. In January of this year, the base went on high alert and evacuated some of the personnel. In early February, the US Army positioned Patriot mobile air defense batteries at the site. Bases in Europe and Greenland The USA has 50 military bases in Europe, 31 of them controlled by the country and another 19 with the presence of troops and military equipment, according to the North American Congress. Check the quantity by country: Italy: 7 bases Germany: 6 bases United Kingdom and Poland: 5 bases each Belgium, Greece and Romania: 3 bases each Bulgaria, Spain, Hungary, Lithuania and Turkey: 2 bases each Cyprus, Estonia, Greenland, Iceland, Latvia, Norway, Portugal (Azores) and Kosovo: 1 base each. ➡️ Understand: Greenland is geographically located in North America, but has deep historical and political ties with Europe, as it is an autonomous territory of Denmark. When Trump intensified his push to annex Greenland to the United States, European countries that are members of NATO considered questioning the American military presence in bases spread across the continent. The debate, however, did not advance as it was considered an extreme measure. This is because the presence of US troops in these bases is regulated by bilateral treaties, UFF professor of International Relations and Harvard researcher Vitelio Brustolin told g1. Furthermore, the partnership is strategic and beneficial for both Europe and the US. After all, Washington maintains around 100 nuclear warheads spread across the continent as a deterrent against threats from Russia. Speaking of Russia, the US has increased its military presence in Europe from 2022, due to the start of the war in Ukraine. They deployed or extended the stay of more than 20,000 troops and “increased air, land, sea, cyber and space capabilities”, according to the US Congress. The US military base in Nuuk, Greenland, maintains around 130 soldiers. Under the agreement signed in 1951 with Denmark — which maintains sovereignty over the island — Washington can mobilize the contingent it deems necessary on the spot. Bases and troops around the world The USA is a global military superpower and has the largest network of foreign military bases, according to institutes specializing in military studies. There are 128 military bases in 51 countries (see the map above). According to the US Congress, the main strategic reasons for maintaining bases around the world are: To facilitate rapid military responses outside the US when necessary; Deter adversaries from attacking the United States or its allies and partners; Ensure the security of US allied and partner countries. The country spends more than US$70 billion (R$364 billion) per year to maintain its military installations abroad, according to data from October 2025. There are 230,000 military personnel, including active troops and civilian employees of the War Department and members of the National Guard, positioned between these installations. Of these, around 170,000 are active troops. See the chart below for the 10 countries that host the largest number of US troops. US soldiers are present at hundreds of other military installations, which vary in size and function. A 2020 University of California Press study mapped the roughly 800 U.S. military installations around the world. It is possible that the current configuration of US forces will undergo changes in the coming years due to initiatives by the Trump White House, such as an increased focus on the Western Hemisphere and Latin America. Even so, currently, a major change seems unlikely, according to professor Vitelio Brustolin. “The new US strategic documents make it clear that the security of the Americas is a central part of national security, a direct and priority for the US, unlike Asia and Europe, where the focus is secondary. But this does not necessarily mean that the US will seek new military bases in Latin America,” said Brustolin. According to the professor, the United States does not need to build new military bases in Latin America because it is already possible to project power from its own territory, as proven during the pressure campaign against the deposed Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. In the Western Hemisphere, the US objective is to expel the influence of Russia and China, according to Brustolin, and “not necessarily by placing more bases, but by seeking to make countries in the region submit to the United States, whether friendly or not.” The US Congress mentions “Natal-Fortaleza” as “facilities outside the main theaters of war”, but does not give details. Infographic illustrates facts about the US military presence around the world. Dhara Pereira/Arte g1

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