Washington: Washington is considering a long-term military presence in the Israeli-occupied territories following the joint US-Israeli aggression against Iran, Israeli media reported.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, in light of the close cooperation between the Israeli forces and the US military, Israeli officials believe the Americans are considering moving forces to Israel from other countries in the region, or at the very least leaving a significant number of forces in Israel for the long term, as reported by Israel Hayom.

The newspaper quoted a senior official as saying, “There are American forces here that will not be moving in the near or even distant future. They have learned that Israel is a convenient fortress for operations; relatively far from the main threats and well protected by air defense systems.”

The United States has been running military bases in the Middle East for decades. According to the Council on Foreign Relations think tank, Washington manages an extensive network of military sites-both permanent and temporary-across at least 19 locations in the region. Among these facilities, there are 8 permanent bases located in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.