Analysis of satellite images and confirmed video footage obtained by the New York Times revealed that Iranian strikes over the weekend and on Monday damaged infrastructure related to communication and radar systems at seven American military bases in the region. The recordings show that devices responsible for tracking ballistic missiles, as well as satellite antennas and radar domes protecting equipment necessary for long-range communication, were damaged.
Since the communication infrastructure of American military forces is heavily guarded, it is difficult to determine precisely which systems were targeted. However, the locations of the strikes indicate Iran's intent to undermine the communication and coordination capabilities of the American military. This is not the first attack: in June of last year, Iranian forces struck a base in Qatar and repeated the attack over the weekend.
The attacks also affected military facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The spokesperson for U.S. Central Command declined to comment on the strikes.
Bahrain
A video confirmed by The Times captured an Iranian drone strike on a radar dome at the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet base in Manama, Bahrain. This base is a key center for U.S. naval operations in the region.
Satellite images taken the next day showed that another radar dome had been destroyed.
Among the destroyed objects were AN/GSC-52B satellite communication terminals, which provide high-speed real-time communication for U.S. armed forces.
Qatar
Satellite images taken on Sunday showed the destruction of a tent surrounded by satellite antennas at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
Al Udeid is the largest U.S. military base in the region, housing thousands of troops and serving as the headquarters for U.S. Central Command. Last June, during the conflict between Iran and Israel, this base was also attacked due to the communication system used by the U.S. military.
Kuwait
Images of Camp Arifjan in Kuwait taken on Sunday show that at least three radar domes were damaged or destroyed.
Images taken on Sunday also show that at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, located 50 miles northeast, at least six buildings near the satellite communication infrastructure were damaged or destroyed.
According to satellite images taken on Tuesday, the same area of the base was attacked again, with two buildings near the satellite equipment suffering significant damage.
Saudi Arabia
On Saturday evening, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a missile strike and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base. The next morning, satellite images captured smoke rising from one of the buildings near the base.
Later, on Tuesday, another satellite image showed that this structure was significantly damaged.
The damaged building was located near a radar dome and situated in a fenced area about six miles east of the main base, suggesting the Iranians specifically targeted communication equipment.
United Arab Emirates
Satellite images taken on Sunday showed damage to several buildings at a military base in the Al Ruwais area of the United Arab Emirates.
Reports indicate that the AN/TPY-2 radar system, responsible for detecting ballistic missiles and necessary for coordinating their interception, has been deployed near one of the damaged buildings since June of last year. It is unclear whether the system itself was damaged.
The target of the strike, which occurred more than 160 kilometers east of Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, remains unclear. Satellite images show that buildings and tents in an area comparable to a football field sustained significant damage. Earlier images showed satellite antennas and dishes, but it is unknown if they were present during the weekend attacks.
Satellite images from Monday confirm that the base was again attacked in the same area.
Earlier, The Times reported additional damage to American military facilities in Dubai, Iraq, and Kuwait during the weekend attacks, and new satellite images also show damage at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. However, the structures in these locations were likely not related to communication or radar systems.
