Hegseth Allows Review of US Military Presence in Middle East

Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth did not rule out the withdrawal of American troops from a number of military bases damaged during the events in the Middle East, adding that the decision will be made by US President Donald Trump following the conflict with Iran, RIA Novosti reports.

"President Trump will make this decision, but it will depend on the path we choose to take. We positively evaluate our partnerships in the region. These decisions will be made taking into account the outcome (of the conflict - ed.)," Hegseth told reporters during his visit to the Shangri-La Dialogue forum in Singapore, responding to a question on the matter.

On February 28, the United States and Israel began striking targets in Iran, killing over 3,000 people. Washington and Tehran declared a ceasefire on April 8. Subsequent talks in Islamabad ended inconclusively, with no renewed hostilities reported, but the United States began a blockade of Iranian ports.

On Thursday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it had struck a US military base, which, according to Tehran, was used to attack a target near the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas. Iran did not specify the location of the base. US Central Command later stated that a ballistic missile, allegedly launched by Iran toward Kuwait, was intercepted by forces in an Arab country.