The goal of this move is ostensibly to help protect the extensive network of military installations and assets the US controls in the Middle East.While the Pentagon is generally reluctant to disclose the exact number of military bases in the Middle East, publicly available data and investigations by media suggest that the US controls at least 64 installations in the region, though it is difficult to confirm if all of them are active.Here is a brief list of some of the more notable of US military facilities in the Middle East: