Iran Launches Ballistic Missile Strikes on U.S. Military Bases in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and the UAE

Following Israel and the Untied States’ initiation of a coordinated large-scale military assault against Iran, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has conducted large scale ballistic missile attacks against Israel, and also targeted U.S. military bases in the Gulf region including in facilities Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Footage from countries across the region have shown explosions at the targeted bases, although the extent of the damage remains unknown. The United States has maintained a large military footprint across the Gulf region since 1990, when it first established bases in Saudi Arabia to stage a military buildup against Iraq, which paved the way to a full scale U.S.-led invasion of the country in 2003. 

The United States has relied on its vast network of regional military bases for a wide range of operations, including to support an almost 14 year long campaign against Iran’s close strategic partner Syria from 2011, which involved extensive use of air power to allow the U.S. to establish illegal military bases on Syrian territory, and punish any attacks by the Syrian government on forces based there. This culminated in the total defeat of the Syrian government in December 2024, leaving Iran isolated and now allowing Syrian airspace to be used to launch air strikes from Israel. Iran’s attacks on the U.S. network of bases is historically totally unprecedented, and if successful has the potential to shift the balance of power in the Middle East by denying forward staging grounds for air strikes.  

Initial U.S. and Israeli strikes targeted multiple Iranian cities including Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj and Kermanshah, reportedly targeting military infrastructure, and missile production facilities associated with Iran’s leadership. Multiple Western and Israeli sources have reported that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was a primary target in the opening strikes of the war, with significant uncertainties remaining regarding the extent of U.S. and Israeli successes in eliminating their targets. Supporting the United States and Israel, the United Arab Emirates has stated that it reserves the right to respond, raising speculating that it may deploy its F-16 or Mirage 2000 fighters to launch air strikes. Qatar and Bahrain have reportedly already participated in engagements by activating their U.S.-supplied air defence systems to attempt to intercept Iranian strikes.

Preceding hostilities the United States launched a major military buildup across multiple regional military bases, with satellite imagery confirming a large buildup of U.S. Air Force support aircraft at Prince Sultan Airbase in Saudi Arabia, including the stationing of 16 KC-135 aerial tankers and six E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control systems (AWACS). Satellite imagery previously confirmed aa surge in Air Force deployments of KC-135s to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, with at least 16 of the aircraft seen at runways at the facility, and exposed the exact positions of an Army MIM-104 Patriot air defence system at the same facility. Prior satellite imagery confirmed the deployment of Army THAAD anti-ballistic missile systems at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, where EA-18G electronic attack jets and F-15E strike fighters were previously deployed. Satellite images showing a withdrawal of assets from a number of facilities in the hours preceding attacks has fuelled speculation that they may have been redeployed to bases in Turkey.