The US Defense Department is considering pulling back troops from the Persian Gulf following damage to its presence there during the ongoing war with Iran, the Washington Post reported Tuesday, citing eight sources.

The war has prompted a “once-in-a-generation chance” for the US to consider whether to maintain its bases in the Gulf, the report said, adding that the Pentagon is even considering not rebuilding its damaged bases as they were before the fighting broke out in late February.

While the move was being positioned as a chance for a review of US policy, such a shift would most likely be seen as a major achievement by Iran, which has long chafed at the large American presence in the region and has called for a US withdrawal. It could also leave Gulf countries that have long hosted the US bases vulnerable to further attack by Iran.

One option, according to the report, is for the US to move its troops and bases further west in the region and away from Iran, into an area that includes Jordan and Israel. American refueler jets have been stationed in Israel throughout the war, and Jordan houses several US bases.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not ordered a formal review of the question, but it is being explored by the Pentagon’s policy office and the US Central Command, according to the report.

“Decisions are going to have to be made on........

© The Times of Israel