The United States and its Growing Involvement in the Middle East Crisis
A US military convoy drives through northern Iraq in September 2024, part of the 40,000 American troops stationed in the Middle East. (Photo: Getty Images/Safin Hamid/Agence France-Presse)
As of early October 2024, the United States had approximately 40,000 US military troops stationed throughout the Middle East, with thousands more set to be deployed. This increased US military presence in the region showcases the seriousness of rising tensions from the Israel-Palestine conflict and signals US intentions to become more involved.
As of October 2024, the largest US military base in the Middle East is located in Qatar. Other countries in the region hosting US military bases include Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Bahrain, Djibouti, and the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln has been on extended deployment in the Gulf of Oman, as part of a strike group that includes guided-missile destroyers and fighter jets. In the Eastern Mediterranean, the US has three guided-missile destroyers and an amphibious assault ship. Another addition to the region is the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman, which left Virginia in late September for a scheduled deployment to the Middle East. The Red Sea, a vital trade route between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, has also seen an increased US presence due to attacks on American commercial ships by the Houthis, an Iranian-backed militia supporting Hamas.
In the first week of October 2024, the US further expanded its involvement in the Middle East. On Oct. 1, the US assisted Israel in shooting down Iranian missiles, while President Biden monitored military action from the White House Situation Room. Speaking to reporters about the incident, Biden described the missile attack as “defeated and ineffective” and reaffirmed the US’s commitment to Israel, stating that “the US is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel.”
Smoke rises from strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. (Photo: Associated Press/Osamah Abdulrahman)
On Oct. 4, 2024, the US conducted strikes against the Houthis in Yemen. The US Central Command confirmed the attack on social media, stating that 15 Houthi-controlled targets in Yemen were struck. The command center described the strike as an effort to “protect freedom of navigation” and “make international waters safer and more secure for US, coalition, and merchant vessels.” The strikes occurred while a group of Houthis and their supporters gathered to hold their weekly protest, which focused on Israel’s killing of the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Also on Oct. 4, 2024, the United States announced it would provide approximately $157 million of additional humanitarian aid to support those affected in the Middle East, especially in Lebanon. Lebanon’s involvement in the Middle East crisis has intensified since September 2024, when a pager attack took place throughout the country. As the fighting continues, the US government has urged its citizens to leave Lebanon. So far, the US has arranged flights that evacuated around 350 Americans and their immediate relatives.
At a White House press briefing on October 4, a reporter asked President Biden whether Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was trying to influence the upcoming 2024 US presidential election by refusing to agree to a diplomatic solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Biden responded, “I don’t know,” but added that he is not counting on it. Biden also stated that no administration has supported Israel more than his. This question about Netanyahu’s intentions arises at a pivotal moment in the US presidential election between Democratic nominee Vice President Harris and Republican nominee former President Trump. As of early October 2024, the race is in a deadlock, and the escalating crisis in the Middle East could sway the results, as the candidates hold differing views on how to address the situation.