Top defense officials are expressing growing concern about the vulnerability of U.S. military bases worldwide and domestically, citing a series of recent attacks and threats involving drone technology and missiles.
An Iranian missile and drone attack on February 28 destroyed Navy facilities in Manama, Bahrain, a critical logistics hub in the Middle East. Iranian missiles also severely damaged the Combined Air Operations Center at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar early in a conflict, rendering it inoperable. Both locations have faced recent attacks again, raising questions about reconstruction. One government official called the destruction of these bases a "seismic shift" that has fundamentally altered America's future force posture in the region.
The Trump administration leaked classified intelligence on Friday suggesting Iran has "substantially increased" efforts to target U.S. diplomats and officials in the Middle East and beyond. An October 23 memo claimed that "the lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against U.S. citizens have reached advanced stages." A U.S. official confirmed the accuracy of the intelligence but questioned the motives behind the leak.
The State Department ordered further staff reductions at diplomatic posts across the Middle East, including in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged the vulnerability of U.S. domestic bases, noting that the Pentagon was "hardening every installation on American soil" against "sabotage and drones." The Pentagon recently began seeking advice on protecting bases through advanced materials, camouflage, thermal and electromagnetic signature concealment, underground placement, and improved resilience to attack.
Officials also expressed concern about Russian drone attacks on NATO facilities. A Russian drone attack on a military cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany in August was part of a monthlong campaign of sabotage and cyberattacks against NATO nations, according to officials. Russia has denied responsibility.
An intelligence report suggested the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps was planning a complex drone attack on U.S. B-1 bombers at Royal Air Force Fairford in Britain, patterned on a Ukrainian attack against Russia. The bombers were flown out in response to the threat.
Hegseth established Joint Interagency Task Force 401 in August to deliver counter-small unmanned aircraft system capabilities. However, a Pentagon inspector general report from January found that immediate attention was required to protect critical U.S. bases against drones and noted that key military installations were not even designated for protection.