US may relocate military bases from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia — newspaper

NEW YORK, June 26. /TASS/. The Pentagon is considering relocating some of its military bases from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in order to reduce potential damage from Iran should military operations in the Middle East resume, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources.

According to the newspaper, after the US launched a military operation against Iran on February 28, around 20 US sites in the Middle East were damaged in retaliatory strikes. The fact that US military bases fall within the range of Iranian missiles is prompting Washington to reassess its regional presence. Israel is being considered as a possible host for some of the bases that could be transferred from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

The US military command is also working to develop options for broader deployment of military facilities across the Middle East in order to reduce their exposure in the event of military operations in the region.

On June 17, the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding providing for an immediate ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon. The initial plan was to hold a signing ceremony in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on June 19. However, the parties signed the document remotely.

On June 21, Burgenstock hosted US-Iran talks on the ratification of the memorandum, mediated by Doha and Islamabad. Qatar and Pakistan said in a joint statement following the first round of negotiations that the meeting had been held in a positive and constructive atmosphere, with the parties making encouraging progress, particularly in laying the groundwork for further technical talks.