US Military Buildup Near Iran: Where American Forces Are Positioned and What They Bring

Overview

The United States has assembled its largest military force concentration in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In the weeks leading up to Operation Epic Fury, the Pentagon quietly surged personnel, aircraft, and naval assets to bases across the Persian Gulf, positioning forces within striking range of every significant military target in Iran. This buildup accelerated dramatically after Iran's retaliatory missile strikes hit US facilities in Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Bahrain, transforming what had been a deterrence posture into an active combat deployment.

The force structure tells a story about American intentions. The deployment is heavily weighted toward air and naval strike capability — carrier-based aviation, land-based fighter and bomber squadrons, cruise missile platforms, and electronic warfare assets — rather than the armored divisions and infantry brigades that would characterize a ground invasion force. This configuration is consistent with the Pentagon's stated objective of "degrading Iranian military capability" through sustained precision strikes rather than territorial occupation (Reuters, Feb 28, 2026).

However, every US base in the region exists within the threat envelope of Iranian ballistic missiles. Al Udeid is approximately 280 kilometers from Iran's coast. Al Dhafra is 200 kilometers. NSA Bahrain is 230 kilometers. Camp Arifjan is 300 kilometers. All are well within range of Iran's most accurate short-range missiles (Fateh-313, Zolfaghar), meaning every American installation is simultaneously a power projection platform and a potential target. This dual reality — the bases that enable US operations are also the bases that Iran can strike — is the defining feature of the current deployment.

Carrier Strike Groups

The centerpiece of the US naval deployment is the unprecedented presence of two carrier strike groups (CSGs) operating simultaneously in the CENTCOM area of responsibility. The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), a Nimitz-class carrier, arrived in the Arabian Sea in mid-February after an accelerated transit from the Pacific. The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the Navy's newest and most advanced carrier, repositioned from the Eastern Mediterranean where it had been supporting operations related to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Each carrier strike group represents a formidable concentration of military power:

Component	USS Abraham Lincoln CSG	USS Gerald R. Ford CSG
Carrier	CVN-72 (Nimitz-class)	CVN-78 (Ford-class)
Air Wing	CVW-9 (~75 aircraft)	CVW-8 (~75 aircraft)
F/A-18E/F Super Hornets	~44	~44
EA-18G Growlers (EW)	5-7	5-7
E-2D Hawkeye (AEW)	4-5	4-5
Guided-Missile Cruiser	1 (Ticonderoga-class)	1 (Ticonderoga-class)
Guided-Missile Destroyers	3-4 (Arleigh Burke-class)	3-4 (Arleigh Burke-class)
VLS Cells (total in escorts)	~370-460	~370-460
Attack Submarine	1-2 (Los Angeles or Virginia-class)	1-2 (Virginia-class)
Supply Ship	1-2	1-2

The two strike groups together deploy approximately 150 aircraft and over 800 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells capable of firing Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, Standard Missile variants for air and missile defense, and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles for close-in defense. The Gerald R. Ford specifically features the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), enabling faster sortie generation rates than older Nimitz-class carriers — a significant advantage during sustained combat operations requiring maximum aircraft tempo (AP, Feb 28, 2026).

The Abraham Lincoln CSG is believed to be operating in the Arabian Sea / Gulf of Oman, south of the Strait of Hormuz, providing strike depth against targets in southeastern Iran while remaining outside the most concentrated zone of Iranian anti-ship missile coverage. The Ford CSG's precise position has not been confirmed, but is assessed to be operating in the northern Arabian Sea or potentially within the Persian Gulf itself, maximizing aircraft range to targets in central and northern Iran. Operating two carriers in proximity also provides mutual defensive coverage — the combined Aegis air defense network of both groups' escorts creates a layered shield against Iranian ballistic missile and cruise missile attacks.

Air Deployments

Land-based air power is where the US has concentrated its most significant surge capability. In the weeks preceding Operation Epic Fury, the Air Force deployed additional fighter squadrons, bomber assets, tanker aircraft, and intelligence platforms to bases across the Gulf, creating a combined land-based and sea-based air armada not seen since Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The most significant deployment is the confirmed presence of F-22A Raptor air superiority fighters at Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE. The F-22 is the world's most capable air-to-air platform, with stealth characteristics, supercruise capability (sustained supersonic flight without afterburner), and advanced sensor fusion that makes it effectively invisible to Iran's air defenses while providing dominant situational awareness. The typical F-22 deployment to the Middle East involves 12-24 aircraft from either the 1st Fighter Wing (Langley AFB) or the 3rd Wing (Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska). In the current scenario, a reinforced squadron of approximately 24 F-22s is estimated to be in theater (BBC Defense Correspondent, Feb 27, 2026).

Additional confirmed and assessed air deployments include:

• F-15E Strike Eagles — multiple squadrons (estimated 48-72 aircraft) deployed to Al Dhafra and Al Udeid, providing long-range precision strike capability with conformal fuel tanks and heavy weapons loads.
• F-35A Lightning II — at least one squadron (24 aircraft) believed deployed to the theater, potentially at Al Dhafra or a classified location, providing stealth strike capability complementary to the F-22.
• B-2 Spirit stealth bombers — confirmed participation in opening strikes, likely operating from Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory) and potentially from Whiteman AFB, Missouri via round-trip global strike missions. Each B-2 can carry 16 GBU-31 JDAMs (2,000-lb) or 2 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (30,000-lb bunker busters).
• B-1B Lancers — supersonic bombers capable of carrying 24 JASSM-ER cruise missiles each, potentially deployed to Diego Garcia or Al Udeid.
• B-52H Stratofortress — long-range bombers serving as cruise missile trucks, each carrying up to 20 AGM-86C Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missiles (CALCMs) or JASSM variants.
• KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-46 Pegasus — aerial refueling fleet (estimated 40+ tankers in theater) enabling sustained combat operations and extending fighter combat radius.
• EA-18G Growler — electronic warfare aircraft providing jamming and SEAD support, both carrier-based and potentially land-based deployments.
• E-3 Sentry AWACS and E-8C JSTARS — airborne early warning and ground surveillance radar aircraft providing battlespace management.
• RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-9 Reaper — unmanned intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms providing continuous coverage over Iranian territory.

The total land-based air deployment is estimated at 300-400 aircraft, including fighters, bombers, tankers, ISR platforms, and support aircraft. Combined with the 150 carrier-based aircraft, the US has assembled approximately 450-550 combat and support aircraft within striking range of Iran — a force that dwarfs the entire Iranian Air Force inventory of approximately 186 fighter/attack aircraft.

Ground Forces and Bases

The US maintains a permanent military presence across five Gulf states — Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, and Oman — supplemented by rotational deployments and, since mid-February, a significant surge of additional personnel. The total US military headcount in the CENTCOM area of responsibility is estimated at 45,000-50,000 personnel as of February 28, 2026, up from the pre-crisis baseline of approximately 30,000.

Location	Primary Facility	Estimated Personnel	Primary Function
Qatar	Al Udeid Air Base	10,000-13,000	Air operations, CENTCOM forward HQ
Kuwait	Camp Arifjan / Ali Al Salem	13,000-15,000	Ground forces, logistics, staging
UAE	Al Dhafra Air Base	3,500-5,000	Air superiority, ISR, UAVs
Bahrain	NSA Bahrain	7,000-9,000	Fifth Fleet HQ, naval operations
Oman	Thumrait / Masirah / Al Musannah	Classified (est. 1,000-3,000)	Bomber staging, SOF, logistics
Iraq	Al-Asad / Erbil	2,500	Advisory, force protection
Jordan	Various	3,000	SOF, air defense, training
Afloat	2 CSGs + amphibious	15,000-18,000	Naval strike, air operations, BMD

The ground force composition is predominantly support, logistics, and force protection rather than maneuver combat units. Unlike the 2003 Iraq buildup, which staged multiple armored and infantry divisions in Kuwait, the current deployment does not include heavy armored formations positioned for cross-border operations. The Army's 3rd Infantry Division has not been deployed, nor have Marine Expeditionary Forces been embarked in significant numbers. This force structure signals that ground invasion is not the current plan — though the logistics infrastructure being assembled could support a shift in strategy if ordered.

Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar

Al Udeid Air Base is the hub of US air operations in the Middle East and the forward headquarters of US Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC), which coordinates all coalition air activity across the CENTCOM area of responsibility. Located approximately 35 kilometers southwest of Doha, the base occupies a facility built by the Qatari government at a cost of over $1 billion and has hosted US forces since 2001.

The base's infrastructure is extensive: two runways (one 3,800 meters, one 3,300 meters) capable of handling the heaviest US aircraft including B-52s and C-5 Galaxy transports, hardened aircraft shelters, massive fuel storage capacity, and the CAOC's command center — a 100,000-square-foot facility equipped with the communications and computer systems necessary to coordinate hundreds of daily sorties across multiple countries. At peak operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Al Udeid managed over 10,000 sorties in the first month of combat; the current tempo is believed to be approaching similar levels.

The base currently hosts an estimated 10,000-13,000 US military personnel, along with F-15E Strike Eagle squadrons, KC-135 tanker aircraft, C-17 and C-130 transport aircraft, and ISR platforms including MQ-9 Reapers. The CAOC is the nerve center for Operation Epic Fury's air campaign — every strike mission, whether launched from carriers, land bases, or submarine platforms, is coordinated through this facility. Its destruction or degradation would significantly complicate US air operations, which is why Iran's retaliatory missile strikes included Al Udeid among their targets. The base is defended by Patriot PAC-3 and THAAD missile defense batteries, though the volume of Iran's initial retaliatory salvo tested these defenses severely (CSIS, Critical Infrastructure Report, Feb 2026).

Al Dhafra Air Base, UAE

Al Dhafra Air Base, located approximately 30 kilometers south of Abu Dhabi, is the US Air Force's primary air superiority and ISR hub in the Gulf. The base sits just 200 kilometers across the Persian Gulf from Iran's southern coast, making it both an ideal forward operating location and a high-priority target for Iranian missiles.

Al Dhafra's significance in the current conflict centers on its role as the primary deployment location for 5th-generation fighter aircraft. The base has hosted F-22 Raptor deployments since 2009, and the current reinforced deployment of approximately 24 F-22s gives the US air superiority capability that is effectively uncontestable by any aircraft in Iran's inventory. The F-22s operate in conjunction with F-15C Eagles (air superiority variant) to establish combat air patrols that deny Iranian aircraft the ability to operate in their own airspace — a capability demonstrated within the first hours of Operation Epic Fury when Iranian F-14s attempting to intercept inbound strike packages were detected and forced to disengage before reaching weapons employment range.

The base also hosts a significant RQ-4 Global Hawk detachment, providing high-altitude, long-endurance ISR coverage over Iran. Global Hawks can loiter at 55,000+ feet for over 30 hours, using synthetic aperture radar and electro-optical/infrared sensors to map targets, assess damage, and track mobile missile launchers. The intelligence collected by these platforms feeds directly to the CAOC at Al Udeid and to strike packages in real time. Additional U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance aircraft may also operate from Al Dhafra, though the Air Force has not confirmed this.

Al Dhafra is defended by both US and UAE air defense assets. The UAE operates the THAAD missile defense system (one of only two foreign THAAD customers) and Patriot batteries, providing multi-layered defense that the US supplements with its own Patriot PAC-3 deployment. The base's proximity to Iran means warning time for incoming ballistic missiles is measured in minutes rather than the tens of minutes available to more distant bases, placing extreme demands on the defense systems' reaction time.

Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

Camp Arifjan is the headquarters of US Army Central (ARCENT) and the US military's primary logistics and staging base in the Gulf. Located approximately 60 kilometers south of Kuwait City, the camp has served as the Army's forward operating hub since the drawdown from Iraq and is the largest US military installation in Kuwait.

Camp Arifjan's primary function is logistics — the mundane but critical business of receiving, storing, and distributing the supplies, ammunition, fuel, spare parts, and equipment that sustain combat operations. The camp includes massive vehicle staging areas (the "lots" where pre-positioned armored vehicles and trucks are maintained), ammunition supply points, warehousing facilities, and maintenance shops. The Army Prepositioned Stock-5 (APS-5) program maintains a full armored brigade's worth of equipment at Camp Arifjan — M1 Abrams tanks, M2 Bradley fighting vehicles, M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzers, and support vehicles — that can be matched with fly-in personnel to create a combat-ready formation within days.

Currently hosting an estimated 13,000-15,000 US personnel, Camp Arifjan has seen a significant surge in the weeks leading up to Operation Epic Fury. Patriot missile defense batteries defend the facility, along with C-RAM (Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar) systems that provide point defense against shorter-range threats. The adjacent Ali Al Salem Air Base supports tactical airlift operations with C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III transports that sustain the logistics pipeline between Kuwait and forward positions.

The significance of Camp Arifjan in the current context is its potential role as a staging base for escalation. If the political decision were made to introduce ground forces into the conflict — an option that is not currently on the table but cannot be ruled out indefinitely — Camp Arifjan is where the buildup would begin. The APS-5 equipment, the logistics infrastructure, and the proximity to both Iraq and the Persian Gulf coast make it the natural marshaling point for any future ground component. The fact that the Army is currently reinforcing its presence there is being watched closely by analysts for indicators of whether planning horizons are extending beyond the current air campaign.

Naval Fifth Fleet, Bahrain

Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain is the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, which is responsible for naval operations across approximately 2.5 million square miles of water area including the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. Located on the eastern coast of Bahrain, approximately 230 kilometers from Iran across the Persian Gulf, the facility is the nerve center for all US naval operations in the theater.

Fifth Fleet currently commands an unprecedented concentration of naval power. Beyond the two carrier strike groups, the fleet's assets include guided-missile submarines (SSGNs) — Ohio-class submarines converted to carry 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles each — that represent one of the most potent and survivable strike platforms in the US arsenal. Amphibious assault ships carrying Marine detachments provide additional strike capability and potential for raids or hostage rescue operations. Mine countermeasure vessels (Avenger-class) are positioned to keep the Strait of Hormuz open in the event Iran attempts to mine the waterway.

NSA Bahrain itself hosts approximately 7,000-9,000 US military personnel including the Fifth Fleet headquarters staff, Naval Special Warfare units (SEALs), explosive ordnance disposal teams, and the infrastructure for naval logistics and communications. The base's vulnerability to Iranian missile attack is a persistent concern — at 230 kilometers from Iran, it is well within range of Fateh-313 missiles with sub-100-meter accuracy. Bahrain's small geographic size (780 square kilometers, roughly 3.5 times the area of Washington, DC) means there is no strategic depth; a saturation missile attack on the island would affect the entire country. This vulnerability is partially mitigated by the Patriot and THAAD batteries deployed there, but the missile defense mathematics remain challenging against a large salvo.

Submarine Deployments

The submarine force represents the least visible but potentially most significant component of the US deployment. The Navy does not publicly disclose submarine positions, but the standard force structure for a major CENTCOM operation includes multiple attack submarines and at least one guided-missile submarine.

The Ohio-class SSGN (guided-missile submarine) is of particular relevance. The Navy converted four former ballistic missile submarines to carry 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles each — more than a full surface ship Arleigh Burke destroyer. A single Ohio-class SSGN sitting undetected in the Arabian Sea can deliver more precision-guided munitions than an entire surface combatant squadron. At least one, and possibly two, SSGNs are assessed to be deployed in the CENTCOM area — the USS Ohio (SSGN-726) or USS Michigan (SSGN-727) being likely candidates based on their last known deployments (Naval Intelligence Open Source Report, Jan 2026).

Virginia-class and Los Angeles-class fast attack submarines (SSNs) provide anti-submarine warfare protection for the carrier strike groups, intelligence collection through signals intercept and periscope-depth surveillance, and additional Tomahawk strike capacity (each Virginia-class carries 12 Tomahawk missiles in addition to torpedoes, with the Block V variant carrying up to 40 in the Virginia Payload Module). The shallow waters of the Persian Gulf itself limit submarine operations, but the deeper waters of the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea provide ideal operating areas from which submarine-launched cruise missiles can reach Iranian targets.

The submarine force's invisibility is strategically significant. Iran cannot target what it cannot find, and US submarines operate with impunity in deep water. This makes the submarine-based cruise missile force a survivable second-strike capability that Iran must account for regardless of what happens to surface ships or land bases — a dynamic that significantly complicates Iranian planning.

Support and Logistics

Sustaining high-tempo combat operations across a theater the size of the Middle East requires an enormous logistics tail that rarely makes headlines but determines whether operations succeed or fail. The US military's logistics network in the region is a critical enabler — and a potential vulnerability.

The Military Sealift Command operates a fleet of replenishment ships, cargo vessels, and tankers that sustain the naval force. Combat logistics force ships (T-AKE, T-AO types) shuttle between Gulf ports and the carrier strike groups at sea, delivering jet fuel, ammunition, food, and spare parts. Strategic sealift ships carry heavy equipment from CONUS (continental US) depots to theater ports, with transit times of 2-3 weeks from the US East Coast through the Suez Canal to the Persian Gulf.

The Air Mobility Command operates a continuous airlift pipeline through staging bases in Europe (Ramstein, Germany) and the Gulf (Al Udeid, Ali Al Salem). C-17 Globemaster III and C-5M Super Galaxy transports carry high-priority cargo, personnel, and precision-guided munitions that are consumed faster than any other category of supply in modern air campaigns. During the 2003 Iraq invasion, the Air Force expended its entire stock of certain precision-guided munitions within the first two weeks, requiring emergency production surges. Current stockpile levels for JDAM, SDB, JASSM, and Tomahawk are classified but are known to be a planning constraint for extended operations (DoD IG Report, FY2025).

The logistics network's vulnerability to Iranian missile strikes is a serious concern. Fuel storage facilities, ammunition depots, and runway infrastructure at forward bases can be damaged or destroyed by ballistic missile attacks. The US has invested in rapid runway repair capabilities and distributed logistics to reduce single-point-of-failure risks, but a sustained Iranian missile campaign against Gulf bases could degrade the tempo of US air operations by disrupting the supply chain rather than destroying combat aircraft directly. This is a key element of Iran's anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) strategy.

Force Comparison to Iraq 2003

The most instructive comparison for understanding the current force posture is Operation Iraqi Freedom (March 2003), the last time the US assembled a comparable military force in the Gulf. The differences between the two deployments reveal the different nature of the current operation.

Category	Iraq 2003	Iran 2026 (Current)
Total Personnel	~300,000 (coalition)	~45,000-50,000
Ground Maneuver Divisions	5 (3 Army + 1 Marine + 1 UK)	0
Main Battle Tanks	~800	Prepositioned (1 brigade set)
Carrier Strike Groups	5	2
Fighter/Attack Aircraft	~735	~450-550
Cruise Missiles Fired (total campaign)	~800	TBD (est. 400+ in first wave)
Stealth Aircraft	F-117, B-2 (limited)	F-22, F-35, B-2 (extensive)
Precision-Guided Munitions %	~68%	~95%+ (estimated)
Campaign Objective	Regime change + occupation	Nuclear/military degradation

The 2003 force included five ground divisions staged primarily in Kuwait for a cross-border invasion. The 3rd Infantry Division and 1st Marine Expeditionary Force led the assault north through the Karbala Gap to Baghdad, while the 101st Airborne and 82nd Airborne Divisions provided air assault and security operations. The British 1st Armoured Division attacked into southern Iraq. Nothing comparable exists in the current deployment.

What the current force lacks in ground combat power, it compensates for in precision strike capability. The 2003 campaign used approximately 68% precision-guided munitions — already a dramatic increase from the 1991 Gulf War's ~8%. The current operation is estimated to use 95%+ precision-guided weapons, enabled by the proliferation of GPS-guided JDAM kits, the JASSM-ER standoff cruise missile, the SDB (Small Diameter Bomb) for reduced collateral damage, and advances in targeting intelligence. The net effect is that fewer aircraft can destroy more targets with greater accuracy, reducing the need for the massive air armadas of previous conflicts.

The strategic implication is clear: the current deployment is designed to destroy things, not to hold territory. It can devastate Iran's nuclear infrastructure, military command nodes, air defense networks, and naval assets from standoff range. What it cannot do is occupy Iranian territory, secure nuclear material, or prevent Iran from reconstituting damaged capabilities over time. Whether that limitation matters depends entirely on whether air and naval power can achieve the stated objectives of Operation Epic Fury — a question that will be answered in the coming weeks.

Related Coverage

• Iran vs US Military Comparison 2026: Strength, Numbers, and Key Asymmetries
• Operation Epic Fury Explained: Targets, Strategy, and What Comes Next
• Gulf States' Response to Iranian Attacks: Who Is Helping and Who Is Hedging
• Iran Strikes Back: Where Missiles Hit and What Was Damaged
• Regional Missile Defense Systems in the Middle East

Sources

Last updated: February 28, 2026. This article is revised when new evidence materially changes what can be stated with confidence.