As tensions with Iran continue to flare, the U.S. military’s footprint in the Middle East spans countries both near and far. And its presence is anything but casual. The American military is no stranger to this part of the world. Over the decades, it has constructed a vast grid of installations, some permanent, while others temporary, across at least 19 nations. The noted among them are eight important bases in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. As tensions with Iran continue to flare, the U.S. military’s footprint in the Middle East spans countries both near and far. And its presence is anything but casual. The American military is no stranger to this part of the world. Over the decades, it has constructed a vast grid of installations, some permanent, while others temporary, across at least 19 nations. The noted among them are eight important bases in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.