Iranian missile and drone strikes on US targets in the Middle East
On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel began launching massive air strikes against targets in Iran. aviation и missile strikes. The Israeli army also attacked positions of the Iran-allied Islamist militant organization Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel, as well as on the territory of eight Arab countries, targeting both military and civilian targets, including energy and transportation infrastructure.
Iran suffered significant losses from the American-Israeli bombing campaign across many areas, severely damaging the country's industrial and defensive capabilities. In particular, the Iranian Navy's ballistic missile production facilities and surface forces were almost completely destroyed. At the very beginning of the campaign, the Americans and Israelis succeeded in suppressing the Iranian Defense and the Air Force, which was unable to provide any significant resistance to the destructive air raids and, by and large, had no impact on the course of military operations.
American combat aircraft on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)
At the same time, Iranian ballistic missiles and dronesThe kamikazes turned out to be far more effective than the American command had expected when planning the operation. This is largely due to the fact that the US Defense Department leadership made a number of critical miscalculations, failing to take into account the number and strike capabilities of Iranian missiles and long-range dronesUnderestimating the enemy, neglecting camouflage, stationing important mobile weapons systems in one location for extended periods of time, deficiencies in air and missile defense, and failures in warning and coordination with allies led to significant losses.
After Iran's military and political leadership was largely decapitated, decisions to strike enemy targets were delegated to regional commands, and they were largely carried out in a decentralized manner, as soon as weapons were ready to use. Iran used missiles and drones to attack Israel and regional Arab countries that are US partners, as well as a British military base in Cyprus. In total, Iran launched thousands of drones and more than 680 short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. Iran also attempted to launch missile attacks on targets in Turkey and carried out drone strikes on Azerbaijan.
Before the ceasefire concluded on April 8, 2026, the Iranian armed forces launched approximately 4000 drones and over 1700 ballistic and cruise missiles of varying ranges. It is worth noting that Israel, the United States, and America's Middle Eastern allies were unequally prepared to counter Iranian attacks.
For example, Israeli air and missile defense forces intercepted approximately 90% of ballistic missiles and almost all cruise missiles and UAVs, resulting in virtually no damage to IDF assets. In early March, the intensity of missile and drone attacks against Israel decreased as some strikes shifted to other states in the region, ready-to-use missile stockpiles were depleted, and a significant number of launchers were destroyed.
Iran and its proxies have attacked US military bases, civilian infrastructure, and energy facilities in several countries in the region. American targets were targeted in Turkey, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, and Cyprus. According to media reports, as of March 3, 2026, more than 450 Iranian missiles and 1140 unmanned aerial vehicles had been launched at Arab countries. On March 2, 2026, two Su-24M frontline bombers belonging to the Iranian Air Force attempted to carry out an airstrike on Al Udeid Air Base, but they were intercepted by Qatari F-15QA fighter jets. However, a significant number of the attacks on American targets succeeded, causing significant damage to the US armed forces.
Location of US military bases in the region
The Americans lost 15 service members killed and 538 others wounded to varying degrees. According to data published by independent investigators, Iranian strikes damaged or destroyed at least 228 structures or pieces of equipment at US military installations across the Middle East.
Locations of missile, bomb, and drone strikes. Blue icons indicate targets attacked by the US and Israel, red icons indicate targets attacked by Iran.
Hangars, barracks, fuel depots, aircraft, radars, communications equipment, and air and missile defense systems were damaged. According to a satellite imagery analysis by The Washington Post, the extent of damage is greater than officially acknowledged by US officials.
Iran claimed to have destroyed or disabled more than a dozen radar and satellite systems, including the AN/TPY-2 and AN/FPS-132 early warning radars used in its missile defense system. Also attacked were the AN/TPS-59, AN/FPS-117, and AN/TPS-75 mobile three-dimensional standby radars, primarily designed to detect aerodynamic targets, the AN/MPQ-64 low-altitude radar, the AN/MPQ-65 multi-function radar from the MIM-104 Patriot air defense system, and the AN/GSC-52B SATCOM satellite communications systems.
News During the conflict, Iranian media outlets repeatedly published unconfirmed claims of numerous downed American and Israeli aircraft, as well as AI-generated images of the hit targets. Therefore, judging the number and extent of the damage to American targets based on Iranian claims is inaccurate.
An AI-generated image of destroyed American facilities.
At the same time, the Americans are hiding their losses, and a number of commercial companies that own satellites designed to monitor the earth's surface have, at the request of the US government, stopped publishing current images of the Middle East region.
Strikes against American targets in the United Arab Emirates
A total of 167 missiles and 541 drones were launched at targets in the UAE. According to official data, 154 missiles were destroyed, and 506 attack drones were intercepted. In addition to the Israeli embassy, Iranian missiles and drones targeted residential and office buildings, energy and port infrastructure, and Amazon data centers. Al Dhafra Air Base, located approximately 30 kilometers south of Abu Dhabi, was also targeted.
Google Earth satellite image of Al Dhafra Air Base from an altitude of 5,5 kilometers. The image was taken in March 2025.
This well-equipped airbase, with two 3661-meter-long runways, boasts numerous hangars and permanent concrete shelters, and is surrounded by a variety of air defense systems. In addition to five squadrons of UAE Mirage 2000s and F-16E/Fs, it also hosts aircraft from the US Air Force's 380th Expeditionary Task Force and units from the US Army's 32nd Air and Missile Defense Command.
Google Earth satellite image of American A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft and MQ-9 Reaper UAVs parked at Al Dhafra Air Base. The image was taken in May 2023.
Iran launched several attacks on the Al-Dhafra airbase. On March 7, the IRGC press service stated:
During the 22nd phase of Operation True Promise 4, a strike was launched against the American terrorist base of Al-Dhafra using various drones and high-precision missiles... At the Al-Dhafra base, hangars for storing and repairing MQ-9 drones and an American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft were destroyed...
On March 15, satellite images appeared on the global digital platform Soar Atlas indicating hits on hangars where American MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance and attack unmanned aerial vehicles were stored and serviced.
Judging by the nature of the damage, the hangars were struck not by cruise or ballistic missiles, but by drones armed with warheads weighing tens of kilograms. In addition to the aircraft hangars, several satellite communications antennas were damaged.
In mid-2025, 3 km south of the Al-Ruwais oil terminal, the US Army deployed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system, which was later used to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles.
Google Earth satellite image showing THAAD missile defense launchers positioned south of the Al-Ruwais oil terminal. The image was taken in August 2025.
Not far from the launchers, on a prepared site, there was an AN/TPY-2 radar, and in the capital reinforced concrete buildings there was a battery command post, a communications center, and quarters for personnel.
The AN/TPY-2 AESA radar, manufactured by Raytheon, operates in the 8,55–10 GHz band and has an instrumented range of approximately 1000 km. It has vertical scanning angles of -10° to -60° and horizontal scanning angles of 80°. Data received from the AN/TPY-2 radar via JTAGS satellite links is transmitted in real time to higher headquarters and other air and missile defense units.
Google Earth satellite image of the AN/TPY-2 radar site south of the Al-Ruwais oil terminal. The image was taken in August 2025.
Iranian officials claimed the position was hit by a precise strike from a Khorramshahr-4 ballistic missile with a warhead weighing approximately 1800 kg. However, there is no objective confirmation of these claims.
Strikes on American targets in Qatar
The largest US military facility in the Middle East is Al Udeid Air Base, located approximately 10 km southwest of the Qatari capital, Doha.
Google Earth satellite image of Al Udeid Air Base. Image taken in February 2026.
The base is used by the Qatar Air Force, the United States Air Force, and other foreign forces. It is home to the forward headquarters of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM, the command responsible for planning and directing U.S. forces in the Middle East, East Africa, and Central Asia), Headquarters U.S. Air Forces Central Command, the 83rd Expeditionary Air Group, and the 379th Expeditionary Air Wing. The airbase has two 3750-meter-long asphalt runways, numerous buildings and hangars for aircraft, large aviation fuel reserves, and secure ammunition storage facilities. The total area of the base is approximately 31 square kilometers.
Google Earth satellite image of U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker tankers at Al Udeid Air Base. The image was taken in February 2026.
Al Udeid Air Base is crucial for the United States not only as a base for combat and reconnaissance aircraft, but also as a logistics hub and permanent base for tanker aircraft supporting US Air Force operations in the region. It also houses communications centers, communications hubs, and radars.
Google Earth satellite image of buildings and structures at Al Udeid Air Base. The image was taken in February 2025.
In early March, Al Udeid Air Base was subjected to massive missile and drone attacks, with some missiles and UAVs breaking through air defense and missile defense lines.
Satellite image of the aftermath of the attack on the communications center at Al Udeid Air Base in March 2026.
A satellite image released in March 2026 shows that an Iranian attack damaged a satellite communications antenna covered by a radio-transparent spherical dome.
A Patriot PAC-3 air defense system battery was deployed approximately 2 km east of the damaged communications center. However, this did not fully protect Al Udeid Air Base.
Google Earth satellite image of a Patriot PAC-3 air defense system on the eastern edge of Al Udeid Air Base. This image was taken in February 2026.
On February 28, 2026, Iranian kamikaze drones were detected by an AN/FPS-132 Block-5 early warning radar station located in Qatar, 1 km south of Rawdat Hatan Air Base in the Al-Khor region, at the Qatar Early Warning Radar (QEWR) facility. These were most likely Shahed 136 UAVs with a warhead weighing approximately 40 kg.
The AN/FPS-132 radar, shaped like a truncated pyramid approximately 40 meters tall, has a pulse power of 2,5 MW and is capable of detecting objects in near-Earth space at ranges of up to 5,000 km. The early warning system's antennas in Qatar are oriented north, west, and east, allowing it to cover virtually all of Iran, parts of Russia, China, and the Indian Ocean.
Google Earth satellite image of an AN/FPS-132 Block-5 radar south of Qatar's Rawdat Hatan Air Base. The image was taken in February 2026.
Iranian drones struck the antenna facing north and the base of the station.
On April 11, Qatari media outlets published photographs showing damage to an American AN/FPS-132 Block 5 missile attack early warning radar.
Experts note that strikes from multiple drones are not capable of destroying a station as large as the AN/FPS-132, but at a minimum, it resulted in the failure of one of the active phased array radars, and costly repairs will be required to restore this radar to full functionality.
7 km west of the Qatari airbase "Rawdat Khan" there is an American satellite communications hub, on the territory of which parabolic antennas of various sizes are installed.
Google Earth satellite image of a satellite communications hub 7 km west of Qatar's Rawdat Hatan airbase. The image was taken in July 2023.
According to unofficial information, this communications center was also attacked, and Iranian media published an image of the aftermath of the drone strike in early March.
However, the quality of this image is low, and it is not yet possible to verify its authenticity in other sources.
2,5 km west of the AN/FPS-132 Block-5 early warning radar there is a Patriot PAC-3 air defense missile system position with launchers facing north.
Google Earth satellite image of Patriot PAC-3 air defense missile launchers 2,5 km west of an AN/FPS-132 Block-5 radar. The image was taken in February 2026.
It is unclear whether the Patriot PAC-3 air defense system crews attempted to protect the expensive missile warning system radar from a UAV attack, but it is safe to say that they failed.
Strikes on American targets in Kuwait
As of February 2026, approximately 13,000 American military personnel were stationed at three major installations in Kuwait: Camp Arifjan, Camp Buehring, and Ali Salem Air Base. These installations are used for power projection, logistics, and intelligence support for U.S. forces in the region. The Kuwaiti government largely funds the maintenance of these bases.
In February-March 2026, a series of missile and drone strikes were carried out on the Ali Salem airbase, which shares a runway with the international airport.
Unfortunately, even archival photographs of the Ali Salem airbase are currently blurred, meaning we can only judge the original condition and extent of damage to buildings and structures from low-quality images available online.
Satellite image of buildings and structures at Ali Salem Air Base
Traces of fire and destruction at Ali Salem Air Base
Satellite image of a burning fuel storage facility at Ali Salem Air Base.
Camp Arifjan, a military base in Kuwait, houses units of the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard, as well as a large ammunition storage facility.
American military equipment at Camp Arifjan
Camp Arifjan plays a vital role in supporting the US military's logistics, communications, and intelligence needs, and high-quality satellite imagery of the facility has not been released.
According to Iranian data, the retaliatory strikes caused severe damage to the base's infrastructure, making its further use impossible. Stationary communications nodes and powerful radar stations with antennas covered in plastic spherical domes were destroyed. To confirm this, the Iranians released images showing the total destruction of Camp Arifjan. However, it was later discovered that these images were generated by a neural network.
However, the results of the Iranian attack were indeed very serious, as confirmed by satellite images provided by independent sources.
In early March, information emerged that an Iranian F-5E fighter jet, flying at low altitude, dropped bombs on the American military base at Camp Buehring, which was also attacked by kamikaze drones.
Google Earth satellite image of the American military base Camp Buering. The image was taken in August 2023.
It is a large military base located in the northwestern part of Kuwait in the desert, approximately 40 kilometers from the border with Iraq, and is a key logistics and training hub, as well as the main location of the operational reserve of the US armed forces in the Middle East.
Photos of a heavily damaged CH-47F Chinook helicopter have been published online, but there is no other objective data yet regarding the damage caused by Iranian strikes on the Camp Buehring air base.
Strikes on American targets in Bahrain
In Bahrain, in the vicinity of the Al Juffair naval base, near the capital Manama, is the headquarters of the 5th fleet US Navy. This base is vital for US naval operations in the region, and the port's infrastructure allows it to accommodate and service ships of all classes, including aircraft carriers. While nuclear-powered aircraft carriers have never docked at the port, airborne landing ships are regularly present.
Google Earth satellite image of the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) at the Al Juffair Naval Base pier. This image was taken in November 2015.
On February 28 and March 1, 2026, Iranian drones attacked targets in Bahrain, including facilities of the US Navy's 5th Fleet.
Google Earth satellite image of a US communications hub in the Al-Juffair region. The image was taken in February 2025.
There are verified images available online of an attack by a Shahed 136 UAV on the antennas of the AN/GSC-52B SATCOM satellite communications system, which is designed to provide high-speed broadband satellite communications for strategic command and global command and control of forces, as well as the operation of the missile defense system.
An Iranian UAV crashed into the dome of an AN/GSC-52B SATCOM system.
It can be said with certainty that the detonation of the Shahed's warhead occurred in close proximity to the radio-transparent dome, under which is located a parabolic antenna with a diameter of 11,6 meters.
The detonation of an Iranian UAV's warhead near the dome of an AN/GSC-52B SATCOM system.
Strikes on American targets in Jordan
The US has a very significant military presence in Jordan at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, where MQ-9 Reaper attack and reconnaissance drones, F-16C/D Fighting Falcon and F-35A Lightning II fighters are based, and C-130H Hercules and C-17A Globemaster III military transport aircraft regularly land.
Google Earth satellite image: F-16C/D, F-35A and C-130H aircraft at Muwaffaq Salti airbase. Photo taken in July 2023
Satellite images of the Muwaffaq Salti airbase, dated July 2023, are freely available. According to open data, a THAAD missile defense battery with an AN/TPY-2 radar was deployed to Jordan between October 2024 and early 2026, and their presence at Muwaffaq Salti airbase was recorded in mid-February 2026.
Apparently, damage to the AN/TPY-2 radar station at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base did indeed occur. However, a great deal of patently false information has been published online regarding this, making it impossible to determine the authenticity of any of the photographs.
Strikes on American targets in Saudi Arabia
On February 28, Iran attacked targets in Saudi Arabia for the first time. However, up until a certain point, American and Saudi air and missile defense forces managed to intercept most of the Iranian missiles and drones.
The main US contingent in Saudi Arabia is based at Prince Sultan Air Base, where American fighter jets, military transport aircraft, airborne early warning aircraft, and aerial refueling tankers have been stationed for a long time.
Google Earth satellite image of E-3G Sentry and C-130H aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base. The image was taken in June 2019.
On March 27, a combined missile and drone strike overwhelmed the defense system, causing significant losses for American forces. A ballistic missile hit completely destroyed an American E-3 Sentry early warning and control aircraft, marking the first combat loss of this type of aircraft in history. stories its operation. Another identical machine was damaged.
The cost of one Sentry is approximately $500 million. The US Air Force currently operates 14 of these aircraft. Two KC-135R Stratotanker tankers have also been disabled.
On April 3, several news outlets, citing Iranian sources, reported the destruction of another AN/TPY-2 radar station at Prince Sultan Air Base. However, as in other cases, no evidence was provided other than blurry satellite images without coordinates.
The final list of American losses in this campaign will become known some time after its conclusion, when the "fog of war" clears. Western analysts claim that Iran suffered far greater military damage than the United States, and its missile and nuclear programs were significantly set back. But it is safe to say that the current White House administration failed to fully calculate the consequences of its actions and has backed itself into a stalemate. In any case, Washington is not prepared to make major sacrifices for a complete and final victory, and Tehran has no intention of capitulating under the current circumstances.
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