US and Israel Relocate Troops, Place Assets Near Civilian Areas in Iran Conflict

By Prem Thakker

*Zeteo, March 22, 2026*

On February 19, 1942, the US government initiated the relocation of Americans of Japanese ancestry to internment camps, a policy affecting over 120,000 individuals during World War II. In recent years, the Department of Homeland Security has detained thousands of migrants in facilities that some critics compare to those conditions, amid ongoing public debate.

This report examines accusations of using "human shields" in the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran, which began with US and Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026. It follows two and a half years of Israeli operations in Gaza, where US and Israeli officials justified strikes on civilian sites such as hospitals, schools, and homes by citing Hamas's placement of fighters and infrastructure in those areas.

Prior to the strikes on Iran, the US took precautionary measures. In January 2026, the US evacuated hundreds of troops from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar to hotels in the region, including Bahrain, according to NBC News citing a US official and another source familiar with the matter. US Central Command described these moves as preemptive steps to protect personnel ahead of potential Iranian retaliation.

Days before the February 28 strikes, the US positioned KC-46 refueling tanker aircraft at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, the country's busiest civilian hub serving thousands of passengers daily. The airport continued refueling operations during the conflict.

Iranian responses have included strikes on US and Israeli sites near civilian infrastructure. Iranian airstrikes killed US service members in a makeshift operations center at a civilian port in Kuwait and injured personnel at a hotel in Bahrain. In Israel, Iranian missiles destroyed apartment buildings while targeting the Negev Nuclear Research Center in retaliation for Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Israeli officials have not publicly explained the placement of the nuclear research center near residential areas in the Negev desert. Similarly, US officials have not detailed the rationale for positioning military assets at Ben Gurion Airport.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on state media shortly after the US-Israel strikes began: "We started by attacking their military bases. They have evacuated their military bases and gone to the hotels and made human shields for themselves." Iranian officials have denied using civilians as shields and accused the US and Israel of targeting non-military sites.

Conversely, US Central Command has accused Iran of placing missile and drone launchers in civilian neighborhoods during the conflict, increasing risks to Iranian civilians. On February 28, 2026, US and Israeli strikes hit a school in Minab, Iran, adjacent to an IRGC naval facility. Iranian authorities claimed over 168 child deaths; the Pentagon initiated a probe, noted the site's military ties, and stated that the US does not intentionally target civilians.

US and Israeli officials have rejected Iranian accusations of using human shields, emphasizing that relocations were defensive and that military operations prioritize minimizing civilian harm. No independent verification has confirmed intent to use civilians as shields on any side.

In Israel, the headquarters of Mossad, the country's intelligence agency, is located in a densely populated area of Tel Aviv, surrounded by civilian residences, as described by CNN's Jim Sciutto in a 2024 report.

The conflict has prompted mutual claims of endangering civilians through proximity of military assets to populated areas. Both sides maintain that their actions comply with international law, while accusing the other of violations.

*(Photo: US military refueling aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport on March 22, 2026. Credit: Nir Keidar/Anadolu via Getty Images)*

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