IRAN STRIKES QATAR, UAE, IRAQ, OTHERS HOSTING US FORCES IN MIDDLE EAST IN RETALIATION TO US ATTACKS
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Agency report
Iran has responded to a series of US strikes by launching missile attacks targeting several countries that host thousands of American troops across the Middle East.
Below are key locations with significant US military presence in the region—operating under the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM)—and the attacks Iran has reportedly carried out:
Bahrain
The Gulf kingdom hosts Naval Support Activity Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and the headquarters of US Naval Forces Central Command.
Its deep-water port accommodates some of the largest US military vessels, including aircraft carriers. The US Navy has maintained a presence in Bahrain since 1948, when the facility was operated by Britain’s Royal Navy.
Several American ships, including anti-mine vessels and logistics support ships, are based there.
Bahrain reported that the 5th Fleet’s service center was targeted by an Iranian missile strike on Saturday.
Iraq
The United States maintains troops in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State group, although their mission is scheduled to end by September under an agreement between Washington and Baghdad.
American forces have already withdrawn from installations in federal Iraq under the same deal.
AFP journalists reported explosions near the US consulate in Arbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, on Saturday, while the pro-Iran Kataeb Hezbollah group threatened attacks on American bases.
Kurdish security authorities later announced that the US-led coalition intercepted multiple drones and missiles over Arbil.
Jordan
Reports indicate the United States deployed dozens of military aircraft to Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base ahead of the strikes on Iran.
A Jordanian military official said the country’s forces shot down two ballistic missiles targeting its territory on Saturday, without identifying who launched them.
The Jordanian Public Security Directorate later confirmed there were “no casualties but only material damage.”
Kuwait
Kuwait hosts several US military facilities, including Camp Arifjan, which serves as the forward headquarters for the US Army component of CENTCOM.
The United States also stores military equipment and supplies in the country.
Ali al-Salem Air Base houses the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, described by the military as the “primary airlift hub and gateway for delivering combat power to joint and coalition forces” in the region. The US has also deployed drones, including MQ-9 Reapers, to Kuwait.
Kuwait’s defence ministry said its forces intercepted missiles targeting the air base on Saturday, while Italy’s foreign minister reported that an Iranian strike caused “significant damage” to the runway of the facility, which also hosts Italian air force personnel.
Qatar
Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar hosts forward elements of CENTCOM, along with the command’s air forces and special operations units.
The base accommodates rotating combat aircraft and the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, which includes “airlift, aerial refueling, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and aeromedical evacuation assets.”
Iran previously fired missiles at Al Udeid last June following US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, and Qatar said an Iranian missile attack again targeted its territory on Saturday.
Syria
For years, US troops have operated in Syria as part of international efforts against the Islamic State group, which emerged during the country’s civil war and seized large territories in Syria and neighboring Iraq.
American forces are now in the process of withdrawing, with sources indicating the exit could be completed within a month.
Syrian state media reported that four people were killed when an Iranian missile struck the country’s south on Saturday.
United Arab Emirates
Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates hosts the US 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, comprising 10 aircraft squadrons and drones such as MQ-9 Reapers.
The base also serves as the US Air Force hub for “advanced air warfare training.”
The UAE said it intercepted two waves of Iranian missile attacks on Saturday, though debris from the first strike reportedly killed a civilian in Abu Dhabi.
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