Satellite records indicate that devices intended for tracking incoming ballistic missiles, as well as satellite antennas and radar domes that protect sensitive long-distance communication equipment, were damaged. The communication infrastructure of U.S. forces is kept highly secret, making it difficult to accurately identify the systems that may have been affected. However, the locations of the attacks suggest Iran's intention to undermine the communication and coordination capabilities of American forces. Last year, in June, Iran already attacked the communication capabilities of U.S. military forces at a base in Qatar and repeated such an attack over the weekend. Strikes also occurred at military facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
A representative of U.S. Central Command declined to comment on these incidents.
Bahrain
According to a video released by The Times, on Saturday, an Iranian drone attacked the radar dome at the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet base in Manama. This is an important center for coordinating U.S. naval operations in the region.
Satellite images taken the next day indicate the destruction of another radar dome.
The destroyed structures were AN/GSC-52B satellite communication terminals that provide high-speed communication for the U.S. armed forces.
Qatar
Satellite images of Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, taken on Sunday, show the destruction of a tent surrounded by satellite antennas, as well as damage to some antennas.
Al Udeid is the largest U.S. military base in the region, housing thousands of military personnel and serving as the center of U.S. Central Command. Last year, Iran also targeted the base during the conflict with Israel.
Kuwait
Satellite images of Camp Arifjan in Kuwait show that by Sunday morning, at least three radar domes were damaged or destroyed.
Images taken on Sunday also show that at Ali Al Salem Air Base, located 50 miles northeast, at least six structures near the satellite communication infrastructure were damaged.
According to satellite images taken on Tuesday, the same area of the base was attacked again, and two buildings near the satellite equipment sustained significant damage.
Saudi Arabia
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported on Saturday a missile strike and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. The next day, satellite images captured smoke rising from a building near the airbase.
One of the images taken on Tuesday shows that this structure was almost completely destroyed.
The destroyed building is located near a radar dome, within a fenced area, about six miles east of the main base, which may indicate the intention of Iranian forces to specifically target communication facilities.
United Arab Emirates
Low-resolution satellite images obtained on Sunday from a military base near Al Ruwais in the UAE show damage to several buildings.
The AN/TPY-2 radar system, necessary for detecting and tracking ballistic missiles, was likely installed near one of the damaged buildings since June of last year. However, 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, also remains unclear. Satellite images show that several closely spaced buildings and tents over an area comparable to a football field sustained significant damage. Previously, satellite antennas were located here, but it is unclear whether they were present during the attacks.
Satellite images obtained on Monday indicate a renewed attack on the same area of the base.
Earlier, The Times reported additional damage to American facilities in Dubai, Iraq, and Kuwait during the weekend attacks. New satellite images show damage at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan; however, the damaged structures there are located far from communication and radar systems.
