American 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 unleashed retaliatory strikes 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 the vile Americans regret [attacking Iran],” Iranian Supreme National Security Council chief Ali Larijani said as the retaliatory strikes began on Saturday. “The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will deliver an unforgettable lesson to the hell-bound oppressors of the international order.”
How many bases does the US have in the Middle East?
The US operates a network of 19 permanent and temporary military bases throughout the Middle East, with the largest – Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar – hosting 10,000 troops and serving as the forward headquarters for US Central Command (CENTCOM).
The eight permanent US installations are located in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, and as of mid-2025, there are between 40,000 and 50,000 American troops stationed in the region at any one time.
These bases surround Iran from the west and south, and are currently bolstered by the presence of the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford in the Persian Gulf. These nuclear-powered aircraft carriers have a combined staff of more than 10,000, and carry more than 130 fighter jets.
All of the US bases in the region have been described as “legitimate targets” 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 struck the US Naval Support Activity base in Bahrain on Saturday with ballistic missiles and Shahed kamikaze drones. The base, which is the headquarters for the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, was also hit by drones on Sunday, with satellite footage showing damage to multiple storage buildings and radar equipment.
In one video clip, a Shahed drone can be seen plunging into what appears to be an AN/TPS-59 radar dome, obliterating the $300 million system. Installed in 2007, the radar was described by Lockheed Martin at the time as “the only 360-degree coverage mobile radar in the world certified to detect tactical ballistic missiles.”
Iran struck multiple targets in the Bahraini capital of Manama throughout the weekend, including Bahrain International Airport. On Monday, a US-flagged tanker was hit in the Port of Bahrain, causing a brief fire and killing one port worker.
Iraq
The US military base at Erbil International Airport in Iraq came under sustained bombardment on Saturday and Sunday, while drones were also seen impacting near the US consulate in the city. The extent of the damage at both locations is unclear. Iranian state media has claimed that the consulate was destroyed, and while the US has not admitted that the building was damaged, the State Department has warned Americans to stay away from the area.
In recent years, American bases throughout Iraq have come under fire from Iran-aligned militias during times of tension between Washington and Tehran. As of Monday, the US State Department has said that “reports of missiles, drones, and rockets in Iraqi airspace continue.”
The Jordanian military said on Saturday that it had intercepted two ballistic missiles over Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, causing “no casualties but only material damage.” However, unverified video footage suggests that at least one of the missiles hit its target.
Dozens of American fighter jets, including F-35s, arrived at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base two weeks prior to the start of military operations against Iran.
Kuwait
A barrage of Iranian missiles hit Ali al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait on Saturday. While Kuwait’s Defense Ministry said that all of the missiles were intercepted, video clips show multiple plumes of smoke rising from the base, while satellite images show damage to several buildings. Drones were also recorded striking Camp Buehring, around 50 km north of Kuwait City, and Mohammed Al-Ahmad Kuwait Naval Base, a Kuwaiti facility used by the US military.
Four American troops were killed in an attack on Camp Arifjan in southern Kuwait on Sunday, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told reporters on Monday. Hegseth said that an Iranian missile “hit a tactical operations center that was fortified, but these are powerful weapons.” According to statements from CENTCOM, at least four others were wounded in the strike.
Three American F-15 fighter jets were shot down over Kuwait on Monday morning, in what the Pentagon called a “friendly fire incident.” US Central Command said that the jets were “mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” and that all six air crew ejected and are in stable condition.
Qatar
Explosions were heard in Doha on Saturday, and ballistic missiles were seen bypassing American air defense systems and striking Al Udeid Air Base 40 km away. One of these missiles hit an AN/FPS-132 early warning radar installation, one of only six worldwide. In a statement to Al Jazeera, the Qatari Defense Ministry confirmed that the installation – valued at around $1 billion – was damaged.
Iran fired a salvo of missiles at Al Udeid last June, in a largely symbolic retaliation to the bombing of its nuclear infrastructure by the US.
United Arab Emirates
Iran has fired hundreds of drones and scores of missiles at targets throughout the UAE since Saturday, including Dubai International Airport.
Thick smoke was seen rising from Al-Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, while a massive blaze broke out at Jebel Ali Port in Dubai on Sunday. Al-Dhafra hosts American refueling tankers and reconnaissance drones, and Jebel Ali is one of the US Navy’s most frequently visited ports.
Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Defense Ministry has said it intercepted Iranian missiles over Prince Sultan Air Base on Sunday, and took down multiple drones targeting the base on Monday. Like Al-Dhafra in the UAE, Prince Sultan Air Base hosts American refueling and support aircraft, with more than 40 of these planes observed by Reuters at the base in mid-February.
It is unclear whether any missiles or drones hit the base, or whether any damage was caused by falling debris.
Iran’s attacks on Saudi Arabia have been focused primarily on the Kingdom’s oil infrastructure. Production was paused at the Ras Tanura refinery – the largest in Saudi Arabia – on Monday following a drone strike that morning.
As of Monday afternoon, four US troops have been confirmed killed since hostilities began on Friday, all of whom died in the Iranian attack on Camp Arifjan. Both US President Donald Trump and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine have said that the conflict may continue for some time, and that more Americans may 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 there’s a lot more than three people killed,” he said, commenting before the fourth death was confirmed.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Saturday to have killed or injured “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 outlets, the IRGC managed to hit the USS Abraham Lincoln with four ballistic missiles on Sunday. The US denied this claim, with CENTCOM stating that “the Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close.”
CENTCOM’s statement does confirm that missiles were fired at the carrier, however.