The US has evacuated hundreds of troops from key bases in Qatar and Bahrain in what is described as a precautionary move as tensions with Iran continue to escalate, according to a report by The New York Times. The withdrawal, which involved personnel stationed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and facilities linked to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, comes amid growing concern in Washington over the possibility of military confrontation with Tehran and the risk of retaliatory strikes across the region. Al Udeid, the largest US military installation in the Middle East, hosts around 10,000 troops and plays a central role in American air operations in the region. Officials familiar with the matter said the redeployment was intended to reduce exposure of forces in the event of a sudden escalation. The move has been widely interpreted as part of contingency planning rather than a signal of imminent conflict.  US forces remain deployed across a network of bases in Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the UAE. The US Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East and surrounding areas, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, the reported evacuation comes at a […]