Iran Strikes US Base in Qatar, Destroying Key Communications Dome
Dubai, July 11 (AP): An Iranian strike on a crucial air base in Qatar, vital to the US military, appears to have destroyed a geodesic dome housing equipment essential for secure American communications, according to satellite imagery scrutinized by The Associated Press on Friday.
The US military and Qatari officials have not yet addressed the situation or acknowledged any damage. The Iranian attack on Al Udeid Air Base, located near Doha, Qatar's capital, occurred on June 23 as a direct response to the US bombing of three nuclear sites in Tehran. This attack was part of a sequence that quickly led to a ceasefire – mediated by then-President Donald Trump – ending the 12-day Iran-Israel conflict.
While the Iranian assault resulted in minimal damage, its impact was limited, partly because the US had preemptively evacuated its aircraft from the base, which hosts the US Central Command's forward headquarters.
President Trump stated that Iran had provided signals regarding the timing and approach of its retaliation, enabling both American and Qatari air defenses to prepare. Although the attack momentarily disrupted Middle Eastern air travel, it did not escalate into the widespread regional conflict many analysts had anticipated.
Satellite Imagery Confirms Dome Destruction
Satellite images obtained from Planet Labs PBC show the geodesic dome at Al Udeid Air Base as of the morning of June 23. This dome housed a USD 15 million modernized enterprise terminal, as announced by the US Air Force's 379th Air Expeditionary Wing in 2016. Subsequent images from June 25 onward reveal the dome's absence and display damage to a nearby structure, while the rest of the base remains largely intact.
It is speculated that a fragment struck the dome, but the extent of the destruction suggests an Iranian attack, likely involving a bomb-carrying drone due to limited impact on adjacent structures. The London-based satellite news channel Iran International initially reported the damage, citing images from a different satellite provider.
US Downplays, Iran Amplifies
President Trump characterized the Iranian attack as a "very weak response," reporting that out of 14 missiles fired, 13 were intercepted and one went in a "non-threatening" direction.
"I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured," Trump stated on his platform, Truth Social.
Conversely, Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed the airbase faced a "destructive and powerful missile attack." Iran's Supreme National Security Council asserted that the base had been "smashed," without providing specific details.
In what could be acknowledgement of the dome's destruction, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed the attack had severed the base's communications.
"All equipment of the base was completely destroyed, and now the US command stream and connection from Al Udeid base to its other military bases have been completely cut," remarked Ahmad Alamolhoda, a hard-line cleric. (AP)
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