To hear President Trump and his aides describe it, the rush to withdraw 12 B-1 bombers from an air base in Britain over the weekend was a prudent precaution. President Trump insisted it was no big deal, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted the Pentagon is "constantly reallocating resources where they need to be." However, to anyone watching the deployment of American power globally since the attack on Iran, it was another example of how Mr. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have been forced into retreat.
Over the past several months, the conflict has revealed enormous American vulnerabilities, forcing changes the Pentagon was not contemplating a year ago. The closing of bases in the Middle East and limiting the use of one in Britain have complicated the logistics of projecting power. American bombers can still reach their targets, but only by flying from the United States, requiring more time and refueling. Carrier groups can still patrol the Arabian Sea, but now must be resupplied from Diego Garcia, an island 2,200 miles away.
Most importantly, the rapid withdrawals have taught a lesson to Iranians and other adversaries that they hold the power to chase out a superpower. American and British officials said commanders received specific, credible information that Iran-backed operatives were planning drone strikes against the aircraft and U.S. troops. The suspected plotters may have been inspired by Ukraine's audacious attack on Russia last year. The strikes damaged or destroyed at least a dozen aircraft.
American personnel were evacuated from bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, all within Iranian missile and drone range. Some bases were so badly damaged that the Pentagon has little interest in rebuilding them; they will be moved farther away if Congress grants funding. The waterways are a more complex story, but the United States has been unable to guarantee "freedom of navigation" through the Strait of Hormuz or parts of the Red Sea.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing