US military targets in six countries, including Bahrain and Qatar, have come under Iranian missile and drone fire.
Within hours of the US launching ‘Operation Epic Fury’ against Iran, Tehran’s forces launched retaliatory attacks against American military bases in the Middle East, killing four US troops and destroying billions of dollars worth of equipment.
“We will make the Zionist criminals and bad Americans regret (the attack on Iran),” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council chief Ali Larijani said Saturday as the retaliatory strikes began. “Brave soldiers and a great nation, Iran will give an unforgettable lesson to the infernal oppressors of the international order.”
How many bases does the US have in the Middle East?
The US maintains a network of 19 permanent and temporary military bases across the Middle East, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar – hosting 10,000 troops and serving as the forward headquarters for US Central Command (CENTCOM).
Eight permanent US installations are located in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, and by mid-2025, between 40,000 and 50,000 American troops will be stationed in the region at any one time.
These bases surround Iran from the west and south and are reinforced by the current presence of USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford in the Persian Gulf. These nuclear-powered aircraft carriers have a crew of more than 10,000 and carry more than 130 combat aircraft.
All US bases in the region are described as such “Legitimate Purposes” by the Iranian military, and facilities in six countries have already been hit by Iranian missiles and drones.
Which US bases are on Iran’s target list?
Bahrain
Iran fired ballistic missiles and Shahed kamikaze drones at the US Naval Support Activity base in Bahrain on Saturday. A base that is the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet was hit by drones on Sunday, with satellite footage showing damage to multiple storage buildings and radar equipment.
In a video clip, Shahed drone is seen destroying the $300 million system which looks like an AN/TPS-59 radar dome. The radar, installed in 2007, was described by Lockheed Martin at the time “The world’s only 360-degree coverage mobile radar certified to detect tactical ballistic missiles.”
Iran hit multiple targets in Bahrain’s capital Manama throughout the weekend, including Bahrain International Airport. On Monday, a US-flagged tanker collided in a Bahrain port, causing a brief fire and killing a port worker.
Iraq
A US military base at Iraq’s Erbil International Airport came under sustained bombardment on Saturday and Sunday, while drones were also seen impacting the US consulate in the city. The extent of damage at both locations is not clear. Iranian state media claimed the consulate had been destroyed, and while the U.S. has not acknowledged damage to the building, the State Department has warned Americans to stay away from the area.
In recent years, American bases across Iraq have come under fire from Iran-aligned militias amid tensions between Washington and Tehran. As of Monday, the US State Department said “Reports of missiles, drones and rockets in Iraqi airspace continue.”
Jordan
The Jordanian military said on Saturday that it had intercepted two ballistic missiles over the Muwafak Salty air base. “There was no loss of life but only material damage.” However, unverified video footage suggests that at least one of the missiles hit its target.
Dozens of US fighter jets, including F-35s, arrived at the Muwafak Salty air base two weeks before the start of military operations against Iran.
Kuwait
A barrage of Iranian missiles hit Kuwait’s Ali Al-Salem Air Base on Saturday. Kuwait’s defense ministry said all missiles had been intercepted, but video clips showed plumes of smoke rising from the base, while satellite images showed damage to several buildings. The drones also recorded Camp Buehring, 50 km north of Kuwait City, and the Mohammed al-Ahmad Kuwait Naval Base, a Kuwaiti facility used by the US military.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told reporters on Monday that four US soldiers were killed in Sunday’s attack on the Arifjan camp in southern Kuwait. Hegseth said it was an Iranian missile “Hit a fortified tactical operations center, but these are powerful weapons.” According to statements from CENTCOM, at least four people were injured in the strike.
Three US F-15 fighter jets were shot down over Kuwait on Monday morning, in what the Pentagon called “Friendly Fire Incident.” US Central Command said the jets “Mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti Air Defense Forces” And all six aircrew were evacuated and are in stable condition.
Qatar
Explosions were heard in Doha on Saturday and ballistic missiles bypassed US air defense systems and hit Al Udeid Air Base, 40km away. One of these missiles hit the AN/FPS-132 early warning radar installation, one of only six such radars worldwide. In a statement to Al Jazeera, the Qatari Defense Ministry confirmed that the installation – worth around $1 billion – had been damaged.
Iran launched a missile attack on Al Udeid last June, largely in symbolic retaliation for the US bombing of its nuclear infrastructure.
United Arab Emirates
Iran has targeted hundreds of drones and several missiles across the UAE since Saturday, including at Dubai International Airport.
Thick smoke billowed from Abu Dhabi’s Al-Dhafra Air Base on Saturday and a massive fire broke out at Dubai’s Jebel Ali port on Sunday. Al-Dhafra hosts American refueling tankers and reconnaissance drones, and Jebel Ali is one of the ports frequently visited by the US Navy.
Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Defense Ministry said on Sunday it had intercepted Iranian missiles at Prince Sultan Air Base and shot down several drones targeting the base on Monday. Like Al-Dhafra in the UAE, Prince Sultan Air Base hosts American refueling and support aircraft, more than 40 of which Reuters observed at the base in mid-February.
It was not clear if any missiles or drones hit the base or if any damage was caused by falling debris.
Iran’s attacks on Saudi Arabia have focused primarily on the kingdom’s oil infrastructure. Production at the largest Ras Tanura refinery in Saudi Arabia was halted after a drone strike on Monday morning.
How many US soldiers were killed?
As of Monday afternoon, four US troops had been confirmed killed since the fighting began on Friday, all of them killed in the Iranian attack on Camp Arifjan. US President Donald Trump and Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kaine have both said the conflict could continue for some time and that more Americans could die.
Speaking to RT’s Rick Sanchez on Monday, former US Army officer Stanislav Krapivnik cast doubt on the figures coming from the Pentagon. “I guarantee you more than three people were killed.” He said, reacting before confirming the fourth death.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have killed or wounded on Saturday “At least 200 US military personnel” In the first round of retaliatory strikes.
Did Iran hit a US aircraft carrier?
According to unverified reports on Iranian media, the IRGC managed to hit the USS Abraham Lincoln with four ballistic missiles. The US denied the claim, saying Centcom “Lincoln wasn’t hit. The missiles that were fired didn’t even come close.”
A statement from CENTCOM confirmed that missiles were fired at the carrier.
