Retired General Kenneth McKenzie issued a stark warning to US military bases in the Gulf, indicating that they may soon face a deadly threat from advanced Iranian missile capabilities, calling for their transfer to Egypt and countries far from Tehran.
McKenzie stressed that the current US military bases strategy is no longer viable, and urged the United States to work closely with its allies such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Oman to establish bases in the West.
“Our base strategy is outdated and incapable of dealing with the primary threat in the region, which is Iran,” McKenzie said.
The former Central Command commander suggested moving bases as far west as possible, especially in Egypt, out of reach of Iran, and using these bases for two purposes that “will not only benefit the United States, but also improve the defensive capabilities of the host nations.”
The former commander of the US Central Command warned, according to the Israeli news website nziv, that US bases in the Middle East could be severely damaged by Iranian missile fire.
“Iran has developed ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones capable of overcoming our current defenses,” McKenzie said, noting that the United States must rethink the location of its bases in the region.
The Hebrew website said that McKenzie’s warning comes at a time when Iran continues to improve its missile capabilities, which include short-range ballistic missiles, long-range ballistic missiles, and drones.
The general explained that while Iran’s medium- and long-range capabilities are still evolving, its ability to launch large-scale, short-range attacks could overwhelm US defense systems.
“The Iranians are capable of bringing more weapons to the war than we can defend against, even with highly capable systems like the Patriot missile defense system,” McKenzie noted.
The Hebrew website said that McKenzie’s main argument is that the American bases in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – which served as a deterrent against dangerous adversaries – have now become vulnerabilities due to their proximity to Iran, and that with the advancement of Tehran’s missile capabilities, these bases could become prime targets in the event of a conflict.
Source: nziv
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2024-09-24 14:44:22
