While international attention is focused on Iran, the United States is discreetly strengthening its presence in Greenland.

In March 2025, the visit of the American Vice President JD Vance to the Pituffik base was perceived as a provocation by Denmark and Greenland. While international attention remains focused on uncertainties surrounding Iran, the United States is quietly maneuvering in the Arctic. Washington is currently negotiating with Denmark to expand its military presence in Greenland, with the aim of establishing three new bases, as revealed by the New York Times.

For decades, the American presence on the island was limited to a single military installation, the Pituffik base. The goal is now to expand this presence in a region that the United States considers crucial geopolitically.

Two of the sites under consideration are not entirely unfamiliar. In Narsarsuaq, in the southern part of the island, the United States established a base during World War II to secure the North Atlantic, before withdrawing in the 1950s when military priorities shifted. Further west, Kangerlussuaq served as a strategic hub during the Cold War before being abandoned in the 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union and the reduction of American presence in the Arctic.

Today, the former has a deep-water port and the latter has a runway capable of accommodating heavy transport aircraft, logistical assets that would facilitate a large-scale military return.

***Context: The article discusses the United States’ negotiations with Denmark to expand its military presence in Greenland by establishing three new bases.

***Fact Check: The text accurately represents the reported events and discussions regarding the military presence in Greenland.