US weighs reducing military footprint in Kuwait due to heavy losses inflicted by Iran: Report
The presence of US troops has become a liablity for Kuwait, making it a target of retaliatory Iranian strikes on its critical infrastructure
The US is “rethinking the scope of its footprint” in Kuwait following heavy losses at its bases and among its personnel in the oil-rich Gulf state, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on 31 July, citing US officials familiar with the matter.
Kuwait has been a major US military hub for decades, after the US army ousted the occupying Iraqi army in 1991. The US used Kuwait as a launching pad for its 2003 invasion of Iraq, and to support its forces occupying the country for the next decade.
Kuwait viewed the presence of US troops as the best form of protection, while helping the US project military power in the region.
However, the US–Kuwait relationship is being reconsidered.
After the US and Israel launched an unprovoked war on Iran in February, the Islamic Republic responded by launching barrages of missiles and drones at US bases and assets in Kuwait and other the Gulf states, which Washington and Tel Aviv used as staging grounds for their assault.
Iranian strikes heavily damaged US military bases in Kuwait in multiple attacks. One strike in March killed six US service members.
Iranian attacks also targeted Kuwaiti civilian infrastructure, including power and desalination plants, the international airport, and the Persian Gulf port. Kuwait relies on desalination plants for 90 percent of its water.
Tehran cut off Kuwaiti oil exports as well by closing the Strait of Hormuz, causing severe financial losses for the Gulf emirate.
Iran's retaliatory actions and the vulnerabilities they exposed have made both the US and Kuwait view their traditional relationship as a potential burden.
“The attacks have made people in Kuwait think of the US presence as a liability, but also as absolutely necessary to defend Kuwait,” said Douglas Silliman, a former US ambassador to Kuwait. “I think they are trying to figure out what the best way forward on defense is.”
Kuwait previously saw the presence of US troops as its best guarantee against another land invasion from Iraq or Iran.
But the war with Iran has taken on an entirely different character, with Iranian missiles and drones targeting Kuwaiti defenses and civilian infrastructure from afar.
As in other Gulf states, Kuwaiti officials were upset that US President Donald Trump started the war on Iran without consulting them.
The US is also reviewing the need for a presence in Kuwait in the wake of the Iranian attacks.
The Pentagon was considering drawing down its forces even before the Iran war began, current and former officials told WSJ.
In response to the Iranian attacks on US bases, the Pentagon has reduced its presence in Kuwait to minimize risk, US officials said.
“The question really is, if the Iran war continues, whether that large of a US presence still makes sense,” said Elizabeth Dent, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) and a former Pentagon official.
Meanwhile, Iran's army has carried out new drone strikes against US military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation for recent US attacks.
On Thursday evening, Iran said it targeted the Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain using loitering munitions to strike power generators, navigation systems, and administrative and support buildings, in retaliation for the killing of Lt. Col. Majid Kazemi, a Sukhoi-24 pilot.
On Friday morning, the Iranian army said it targeted the Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, using drones to strike fighter aircraft shelters, satellite communication systems, and equipment storage facilities.
The attack was launched in response to recent US strikes on Iran, including an attack on a residential home on Qeshm Island.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted the Ali Al Salem US Air Base in Kuwait on Thursday, destroying two drone hangars and a fuel tank for military aircraft and helicopters inside the base.
Damage to the Ali Al Salem Base was confirmed by recent satellite images released by the platform Soar Atlas.
Satellite images showed clear blackening and damage to part of the warehouse area used by US forces inside the air base, indicating damage from recent attacks and damage to US military logistics facilities.