Pentagon Prepares Plan to Reduce Military Presence in the Middle East
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the Pentagon is developing a plan to reduce its military presence and activity levels at key bases in the Middle East. This move is expected to shift the balance of power among top U.S. commanders.
The primary goal of the plan is to transfer critical military assets from the Middle East and Europe to other strategic areas. This comprehensive integration process is being overseen directly by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
If approved, the plan will reorganize the U.S. military’s command hierarchy and reduce the number of four-star generals. Hegseth has previously described this as breaking the “status quo” within the U.S. military structure.
The proposal also focuses on diminishing the influence of three significant U.S. commands: Central Command (CENTCOM), European Command, and African Command. The plan envisions integrating these commands into a new structure called the “U.S. International Command.”
These changes align with the U.S.’s shifting strategic priorities after years of costly military engagement in the Middle East. Washington has invested billions of dollars in the region over the past two decades while facing unresolved strategic challenges. In recent years, the U.S. has gradually shifted its focus to containing China, competing with Russia, and reshaping power dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region. The reduced role of CENTCOM, coinciding with the rise of regional actors and diminishing U.S. influence in Middle Eastern security affairs, signals this strategic shift.
Some analysts suggest that a reduced role for U.S. Central Command could lead to an increased role for independent regional actors, including Iran, in security calculations.
In contrast, Israel is reportedly watching these developments with concern. The weakening of direct U.S. presence could diminish Tel Aviv’s indirect deterrence capabilities, potentially forcing it to re-evaluate its security assessments.
In the Persian Gulf, changes in the U.S. military posture could prompt Arab nations allied with Washington to diversify their security relationships, strengthen regional cooperation, and even engage in dialogue with former rivals. This shift could indicate a gradual end to the U.S.-dominated unipolar security order in the region, according to Webangah sources.
