Washington is studying new military bases in Israel amid Iran's threats

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The Pentagon is considering establishing new American military bases in Israel, as part of a broader review of the deployment of American forces and military installations, in light of the escalation of threats related to Iran and fears of targeting the bases that Washington uses to support its operations in the Middle East, the most recent of which were concerns about the “Fairford” base in Britain.

According to a report by the American newspaper "The New York Times" on Wednesday, the Ministry of Defense is examining options for establishing new military facilities, especially in Israel, but implementing these plans may require the approval of Congress, in addition to years to prepare or build the bases.

The newspaper indicated that the US Central Command (Centcom) is already conducting serious planning to reposition its military facilities and reshape its deployment in the region, instead of waiting for the establishment of new bases whose implementation may take a long time.

These discussions come after the United States withdrew its bombers from Fairford Air Base in Britain, following receiving intelligence information about potential threats targeting American forces and aircraft.

The New York Times quoted American and British officials as saying that the decision to withdraw the bombers came after obtaining specific and reliable information that Iranian-backed elements were planning to launch drone attacks on the British Royal Air Force base.

This information indicates that American fears of attacks linked to Iran are no longer limited to military installations in the Middle East, but rather have extended to bases in Europe that are used to support long-range American operations.

However, officials in the administration of President Donald Trump downplayed the importance of evacuating the Fairford base, and described the measures as precautionary, wise, and short-term.

US Air Force leaders also confirmed that withdrawing bombers from Britain does not affect its ability to carry out military missions, pointing out the possibility of launching long-range operations from bases within the United States.

The newspaper quoted experts warning that any attack carried out by Iranian-backed parties against American forces could prompt Trump to take a severe military decision.

This comes amid continuing tension between Washington and Tehran, at a time when the US administration is considering its options regarding the possibility of resuming widespread combat operations against Iran.

In this context, the importance of discussions within the Pentagon regarding locations that could host American forces and aircraft in the future, and the extent of their ability to confront the threats of drones and missiles, is highlighted.

However, studying the establishment of bases in Israel does not mean issuing a final decision to build them, and the report did not specify proposed locations or a timetable for implementing these plans.

Between the option of establishing new bases and redistributing existing facilities, US Central Command is seeking to review its military deployment in the region, in light of continuing fears of targeting US forces if the confrontation with Iran is renewed.