Washington, Aug 19: The Pentagon is evaluating whether to reduce the US military presence in the Persian Gulf after the Iran war, as extensive damage to American bases forces officials to reconsider how troops and equipment are positioned across the Middle East, US media reported.

The assessment is at an early stage and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not ordered a formal review, according to a report by The Washington Post, which cited eight officials and other people familiar with the matter.

A senior Pentagon official described the exercise as “prudent planning”. It could eventually shape decisions on whether Washington should rebuild bases damaged during months of Iranian missile and drone attacks.

“Decisions are going to have to be made on some of this stuff,” the official said.

The Pentagon’s policy office is leading the evaluation. The Joint Staff and US Central Command are also studying the issue.

Central Command normally stations about 40,000 troops at nearly 20 sites stretching about 1,500 miles from Jordan to Oman. The largest and most permanent American bases in the Middle East are concentrated in the Persian Gulf.

Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet. Kuwait houses major Army and Air Force assets.

Since early this year, the Pentagon has sent additional warships, fighter aircraft, air-defence systems and other equipment to the region. US forces have carried out more than 13,000 strikes against Iran, according to the report.

Adm. Bradley Cooper, the head of Central Command, supports discussions about potentially moving American troops west from the Gulf, a US official said. A Central Command spokesperson declined to comment.

Before the war began in February, Central Command evacuated personnel from several bases because they were considered vulnerable to Iranian missiles and drones. Some of those movements could remain in place after the conflict.

“Iran thinks we are in the traditional places,” a person familiar with the adjustments said. “And we are not.”

Six American service members were killed in a March strike on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait. More than 200 US facilities have been damaged or destroyed during the conflict, the newspaper reported earlier.

The US military has also used more than 1,000 advanced air-defence interceptors, reducing its stockpiles of Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defence missiles.

“The war really did highlight the vulnerability … of U.S. forces in the region,” said Michael Ratney, a former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Ratney said moving personnel and equipment westwards to Jordan, Israel or Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast could reduce some risks. But he said the added distance was not a “perfect solution to this problem.”

Iran has demonstrated that it can hit targets farther away. An Iranian attack on Jordan last month killed four US service members.

Allison Minor, a former National Security Council director for Arabian Peninsula affairs, said Gulf countries could retain arms sales, intelligence sharing and other parts of their US security partnerships while hosting fewer American troops.

“But you need to be discussing all of those comprehensively and not just the question of the sheer number of troops,” she said.

The Pentagon estimates that the war will cost about $37.5 billion by the end of September. That figure does not include rebuilding damaged bases. The American Enterprise Institute estimated in April that repairs could cost $5 billion.

Washington, Aug 19: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (US local time) instructed his top envoys to halt their conversations with Iran, according to a CNN report, citing US officials.

Trump told his negotiating team, including Vice President JD Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, not to engage with Tehran despite what officials described as some “positive discussions” with Iran, the report said.

Signaling his readiness to put the conflict at arm’s length, Trump has been unsatisfied with Tehran’s unwillingness to bend to his demands, according to the report. He wants to wait until Iran’s leaders signal fresh willingness to strike the deal he is seeking before reengaging, reports Xinhua news agency.

The White House is shifting strategy to “strangle” Iran over time rather than resort to further strikes, CNN quoted a source familiar with the matter as saying.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that the United States would impose measures on Iran that have “never been seen,” and Washington is stepping up a financial campaign against Tehran.

He added that the Treasury Department has targeted Iranian “bank accounts, crypto wallets, assets around the world, cutting off payments into both the leadership in the regime and the government itself.”

Despite repeated earlier assertions that talks were proceeding well, Trump announced on social media on Tuesday that there were “no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled” with Iran.

“The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect,” he added, claiming the Strait of Hormuz “is open and operating” and “all water mines have been removed or detonated,” contradicting reports that traffic through the global energy waterway remains sharply reduced.

The United States and Iran remain at odds over the Strait of Hormuz and the terms for ending the conflict, with the future of the talks uncertain after a 60-day negotiating period set under a memorandum of understanding ended on Monday.

New Delhi, Aug 18: Israel expects two more rounds of negotiations with India on the proposed free trade agreement, with the two sides likely to have greater clarity on the pact by February 2027, Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar said.

In an interaction with media, Azar said the second round of negotiations was held last month, following an agreement on the terms of reference reached at the end of last year.

“We expect to have two more rounds, one in October and probably the last one by February and I think that by then we will know exactly where we stand,” he said.

Asked about the potential benefits of the FTA for both countries, Azar said discussions have so far focused on traditional market access issues, but the negotiations also cover areas such as reciprocal buybacks and cooperation.

He said bridging the gap in market access could be challenging because Israel has already lowered its tariffs and the two markets differ considerably in size.

However, the Israeli envoy identified high-tech cooperation as an area with significant potential for expanding bilateral economic ties.

“The greatest potential, I think, lies in high-tech cooperation,” he told media.

Azar further noted that greater innovation cooperation between the two countries could encourage Israeli companies to operate more freely in the Indian market.

The envoy’s comments come amid efforts by India and Israel to deepen their economic and technology partnership.

Earlier in May, Azar highlighted six core values underpinning the bilateral relationship — civilisational resilience, the fight against terrorism, democratic values, innovation & competitiveness, religious tolerance, and inclusive development.

India and Israel share a special and unique relationship and stressed the need to translate their common values into greater cooperation and investment, according to his video shared on X.