Fact Check: Is the United States military withdrawing from its bases in the Middle East?

Footage circulating appears to show signs suggesting that Iran may have already won the war

PUBLISHED 1 HOUR AGO

A viral video claims that the United States military is withdrawing from its bases in the Gulf (@QBC_QBC/X)

WASHINGTON, DC: As the conflict in the Middle East continues, a video began circulating on social media platforms claiming to show that American troops are withdrawing from their military bases in the Gulf countries, sparking speculations about the authenticity of the claim. Let us analyze the viral video and fact-check the claim.

Claim: American troops are withdrawing from the Gulf

The video, which surfaced recently, shows the members of the United States Army carrying bags and marching in a line (@QBC_QBC/X)

The video surfaced recently, showing the members of the United States Army carrying bags and marching in a line, shared with the claim that Iran is winning the war.

A post on X that posted the video came with a caption stating, “Breaking. The United States has announced the withdrawal from military bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, and several Gulf countries. Footage circulating appears to show signs suggesting that Iran may have already gained the upper hand in the war.”

The video has spread on other social media platforms, garnering millions of views.

Fact Check: Fake, video is not linked to the ongoing conflict

A thick plume of smoke rises from an oil storage facility hit by a U.S.-Israeli strike late Saturday in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) — A thick plume of smoke rises from an oil storage facility hit by a US-Israeli strike late Saturday in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 8, 2026 (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

However, there is no evidence that the United States military is withdrawing from its bases in the Middle East.

A reverse image search for the key frames of the video reveals that the earliest version of the clip was posted in January and was shared with different claims a week ago.

Hence, the video is unrelated to the ongoing conflict with Iran.

There is also no evidence that Iran is gaining an upper hand in the war, which has faced constant missile strikes from the US and its allies.

A fact check by Grok stated, “No, this claim is false/misleading.”

“US made partial precautionary evacuations of hundreds of non-essential troops from Al Udeid (Qatar) & Bahrain facilities in Feb 2026 amid Iran tensions/strikes, plus phased pullouts from specific Syria bases (e.g. Qasrak, al-Tanf redeployed to Iraq/Jordan)."

"No announced full withdrawal from Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, UAE, or other Gulf sites—forces remain active there.”

“Video shows generic night troops carrying gear (likely Syrian redeployment footage)—not proof Iran has upper hand. Conflict (US-Israel ops vs Iran) is ongoing as of Mar 9.”

Donald Trump says the war will end soon

President Donald Trump speaks at the Republican Members Issues Conference, Monday, March 9, 2026, at Trump National Doral Miami in Doral, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump on Tuesday, March 10, said that the Iran war was going to end soon, without providing any specific timeline. He also warned Tehran that if they tried anything cute, the US would end the nation. He called the Iran war a short-term excursion.

"It's going to end soon, and if it starts up again, they'll be hit even harder," Trump told a news conference in Florida.

"We took a little excursion because we felt we had to do that to get rid of some people. And I think you'll see it's going to be a short-term excursion," he said.