The United States has reportedly begun quietly repositioning military aircraft and other strategic assets away from frontline bases in the Middle East as part of a new defensive strategy aimed at reducing the threat posed by a potential Iranian missile or drone attack.

According to a report citing Western sources, the Pentagon has launched a plan reportedly codenamed “Defensive Arc,” which calls for moving strategic air assets and portions of U.S. forces from bases closer to Iran to more distant, better-fortified locations.

The reported shift comes after President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel planned U.S. airstrikes against Iran. Officials familiar with the matter said the plan was initially designed to support offensive operations but was quickly adapted into a defensive posture intended to better protect American forces.

According to the report, U.S. military planners concluded that large concentrations of aircraft at forward operating bases had become increasingly vulnerable to Iran’s growing arsenal of ballistic missiles and suicide drones.

The assessment reportedly found that the close proximity of some U.S. bases to Iran leaves Patriot and THAAD air defense systems with less than two minutes of warning in the event of an attack. As a result, some forward bases are reportedly being reconfigured primarily as defensive positions while strategic aircraft are relocated farther from Iran.

The report also states that Washington has shifted to what officials describe as an “over-the-horizon deterrence” strategy, relying on long-range bombers stationed at fortified bases in Southern Europe while maintaining rapid deployment capabilities through staging areas in the Mediterranean.

Neither the Pentagon nor U.S. officials have publicly confirmed the reported operation.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)