The United States has increased its number of navy ship patrolsin the Persian Gulf and Iran's international nuclear weapons deal is collapsing.The situation has centered increasing attentionon the presence of American and other military forces in the Persian Gulf area.As relations between the two countries worsen,attention is once again on foreign military bases in the Middle East.The U.S. has stationed some 14,000 troops in Afghanistan to support the war there.Another 8,000 there are North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, forces.The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which operates throughout the Middle East, is based in Bahrain.The island nation is home to over 7,000 American troops.Sheikh Isa Air Base there also houses American fighter planes,spy aircraft and a U.S. special forces operations center.The U.S. considers the island a "major non-NATO ally."Meanwhile, Britain has just opened its first military base east of the Suez Canal since 1971 in Bahrain.In Iraq, the U.S. has stationed some 5,000 troops following the war against the Islamic State group there.The small, oil-rich nation of Kuwait is home to over 13,000 American troopsand the U.S. Army's Central forward headquarters.Kuwait also holds forces and equipment at two air bases and a naval base in the country.Kuwait International Airport houses the U.S. military's largest air logistics center in the Middle East.Some 2,200 American vehicles are stationed there.The U.S. also considers Kuwait a "major non-NATO ally."A few hundred members of the U.S. military are based in Oman.The country permits the U.S. military to visit its ports and fly aircraft overhead.America signed a new port access agreement with Oman this year,and Britain has signed a deal to build a naval base in the country.The forward headquarters of the U.S. military's Central Commandis at Qatar's huge Al Udeid Air Base, home to up to 13,000 American troops.The U.S. has recently positioned B-52 bomber airplanes able to carry nuclear weaponsat the base since relations with Iran started to worsen.Qatar plans to further expand the base.Turkey also has its own military base in the country.This displeases the leaders of Saudi Arabia,which sees Turkey as competition for influence in the Middle East.The U.S. pulled troops out of Saudi Arabiaafter the September 11, 2001 terror attacks and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.For years, Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Ladenwas critical of the presence of American forces there.This summer, U.S. officials said fighter aircraft, air defense missilesand likely more than 500 American troops would return to Riyadh's Prince Sultan Air Base.Officials said this is due to the increased tensions with Iran.U.S. special operations troops also reportedly have assisted Saudi forcesalong its border with war-torn Yemen.The nation of Dubai's Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates, or UAE,is the largest port of call for the U.S. Navy outside of America.The UAE houses 5,000 members of the U.S. military,many at Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra Air Base.This base is also where American drones and F-35 fighter planes are stationed.The U.S. Navy keeps a small base in Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman.France also keeps its own navy base in Abu Dhabi, the Emirati capital.