Satellite images from March 1 show smoke rising from a building at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
Video recordings revealed damage to facilities used for tracking ballistic missiles, satellite antennas, and protective enclosures for radar systems, which are essential for military communications over long distances.
Since the communication infrastructure of the American military is heavily guarded, determining which systems were affected proves to be a challenging task. Nevertheless, the locations of the attacks indicate Iran's intention to undermine the communication and coordination capabilities of American forces. Last year, Iran had already attacked similar facilities, striking a base in Qatar in June, and repeated this tactic over the recent weekend.
The strikes also targeted military facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The press service of the U.S. Central Command declined to comment on the attacks.
Bahrain
On Saturday, an Iranian drone attacked a radar dome at the U.S. Fifth Fleet base in Manama, Bahrain, as analysis of video footage showed. This base is a crucial hub for coordinating U.S. naval operations in the region.
Satellite images taken the following day demonstrated that another radar dome was also destroyed.
The headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Manama, Bahrain
Two destroyed objects were AN/GSC-52B satellite communication terminals, which provide high-speed communication almost in real-time for the U.S. armed forces.
Qatar
Satellite images of Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, obtained on Sunday, showed that a tent surrounded by satellite antennas was destroyed, and some antennas were damaged.
Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar Airbus DS. March 1
Al Udeid is considered the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, housing thousands of personnel and serving as the regional headquarters for Central Command. During the Iran-Israel war last June, Iran also attacked a radar station at this base using a ballistic missile.
Kuwait
Satellite images of Camp Arifjan in Kuwait show that by Sunday morning at least three radar domes were damaged or destroyed.
Camp Arifjan, Kuwait
Images taken on Sunday demonstrated that at Ali Al Salem Air Base, located 50 miles northeast, at least six buildings near satellite communication infrastructure were also damaged or destroyed.
Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait
According to the latest satellite images taken on Tuesday, this same area was subjected to renewed shelling, resulting in two buildings near satellite equipment sustaining significant damage.
Saudi Arabia
On Saturday evening, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported a missile strike and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. The next morning, satellite images captured smoke rising from a building located near the base.
Other images taken on Tuesday show that this structure was significantly damaged.
Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia
The destroyed building was located next to a radar dome and was in a fenced area about six miles east of the main base, suggesting that Iranian forces may have deliberately targeted the communication infrastructure of the facility.
United Arab Emirates
Satellite images obtained on Sunday show damage to several structures at a military base near Al Ruwais in the United Arab Emirates.
A military facility near the city of Al Ruwais in the United Arab Emirates.
Near one of the buildings that was shelled, a radar system AN/TPY-2, necessary for detecting and tracking ballistic missiles, which is used for coordinating missile interceptions, was likely deployed. However, it is unclear whether the system itself was damaged.
While the target of the strike, which occurred more than 160 kilometers from Al Dhafra Air Base, remains unclear, satellite images show that several buildings and tents in an area roughly the size of a football field sustained significant damage. In previous years, satellite antennas and dishes had been observed at this site, but it is unclear whether they were present during the recent attacks.
Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates
Satellite images obtained on Monday confirm that the base was shelled again. Earlier, The Times reported damage to American military facilities in Dubai, Iraq, and Kuwait during recent attacks, and new satellite images show damage at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. However, it appears that the damaged buildings in these locations are not near communication or radar systems.
