Communications Infrastructure Hit: Iran Targets US Military Installations in Five Countries

Iran struck US military communications infrastructure across the Middle East, damaging facilities at no fewer than seven military sites in five countries — Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — according to The New York Times, which analyzed satellite imagery and verified on-the-ground video footage. Exchanges of strikes have continued since February 28.

Bahrain: Fifth Fleet Headquarters

One verified video shows that on Saturday, February 28, an Iranian drone struck a radar dome at the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Manama, Bahrain. The base serves as the primary coordination center for American naval operations in the region.

Satellite images taken the following day revealed that at least one additional radar dome had been destroyed. The two structures reportedly housed AN/GSC-52B satellite communication terminals that provide high-speed, near real-time connectivity for US forces.

Qatar: Al Udeid Air Base

Satellite imagery from March 1 shows that a tent structure surrounded by satellite antennas at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar was destroyed, and several antennas were likely damaged. Al Udeid is the largest US military installation in the Middle East and serves as the regional headquarters of US Central Command (CENTCOM).

During last year's 12-day conflict in June, Iran struck the same base with a ballistic missile, hitting a radar dome used for communications.

Kuwait: Camp Arifjan and Ali Al Salem Air Base

Images of Camp Arifjan in Kuwait indicate that by Sunday morning at least three radar domes had been damaged or destroyed. Approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the northeast, at Ali Al Salem Air Base, at least six buildings or structures located near satellite communications infrastructure were damaged or destroyed as of March 1.

Satellite images taken Tuesday, March 3, show that an additional strike caused severe damage to two more buildings adjacent to satellite equipment at the same site.

Saudi Arabia: Prince Sultan Air Base

On the evening of February 28, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia had been targeted by missile and drone strikes. Satellite imagery captured the following morning showed smoke rising from a building adjacent to the strike zone.

An earlier image indicated that the structure had sustained significant destruction. The building stands near a radar dome within a fenced compound roughly six miles (about 10 kilometers) east of the main base.

United Arab Emirates: Multiple Sites Affected

Low-resolution satellite images taken Sunday of a military facility near Al Ruwais in the United Arab Emirates show damage to several structures. One of the targeted buildings appears to stand near an AN/TPY-2 radar system used to detect and intercept ballistic missiles. It remains unclear whether the radar system itself suffered damage.

The objective of another strike more than 100 miles (170 kilometers) east of Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE is less clear, according to the report. Images from March 1 reveal extensive damage to tightly packed buildings and tents within an area roughly the size of a football field. Earlier images from previous years show satellite dishes and antennas at the site, though it remains uncertain whether they were present during the recent strikes.

The damage appears concentrated on communications and radar infrastructure, potentially affecting US operational coordination capabilities across the region.