# World Watch

By [DYLIT Chronicles](https://dylit.info/user/dylitmediabuzz)

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USA military mulls fleeing from Middle East after failed war with Iran A War With Iran, But No Settled Verdict The United States and Israel opened joint strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, in a campaign the Pentagon named Operation Epic Fury. The operation killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and struck Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure, triggering Iranian missile and drone retaliation against Israel, Gulf states, and U.S. bases, with the heaviest fighting easing by around May 5. Related fighting along other regional fronts has continued at lower intensity since. Whether this amounts to a "failed war" isn't something credible reporting treats as settled fact. A Foreign Affairs opinion essay explicitly labeled it "the failed Iran war" and argued the fallout should push Washington toward withdrawing forces from the region, but that's one position in an active policy debate, not a verified conclusion. The Trump administration has instead pointed to Khamenei's death and damage to Iran's nuclear program as gains. Pentagon Said to Be Weighing a Smaller Gulf Presence The Washington Post has reported that the extensive damage to American bases created what some officials describe as a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity for the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command to reconsider the scale of the U.S. presence in the Gulf, rather than simply rebuilding installations as they existed before the war. No formal decision or troop-reduction order has been made public, and the discussions have been described as early-stage planning rather than a finalized policy shift. Iraq's Withdrawal Predates the War A separate process is unfolding in Iraq. U.S. forces there were already drawing down under a bilateral agreement reached in 2024, though Iran-aligned Iraqi groups have since demanded the full expulsion of all foreign forces from the country. The last American troops are scheduled to leave Iraq by September 30, 2026, ending a mission that once numbered more than 170,000 service members at its peak, and President Trump told Iraq's prime minister in July that "we don't think we need the military there anymore." That timeline traces back to a pre-war agreement, not a decision made in direct response to the conflict. What's Still Uncertain Council on Foreign Relations analysts argue the war exposed structural vulnerabilities in how U.S. forces are clustered within range of Iranian missiles and have called for a more dispersed regional posture. Still, officials and analysts alike caution against reading a coordinated American retreat into these separate developments. Any reduction in Gulf basing would likely unfold gradually, shaped by reconstruction costs, regional threats, and the trajectory of talks with Iran. Sources Foreign Affairs — "America Must Let Go of the Middle East" — https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/america-must-let-go-middle-east The Times of Israel (reporting on Washington Post) — https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-reportedly-weighing-major-troop-pullback-from-gulf-following-damage-in-iran-war/ Council on Foreign Relations — https://www.cfr.org/articles/rising-u-s-casualties-in-the-iran-war-should-force-a-rethink-of-middle-east-bases Related YouTube Videos "Iran warns neighbors it could hit US bases if Washington strikes" — REUTERS — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J6c1o-89Qo "US eyes Iranian assets for Gulf repairs as ceasefire wobbles" — Reuters World News — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78nEZXInReg "US troops complete their withdrawal from an air base in Syria" — Associated Press — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFYd7zeyzbs