New satellite images show Iran’s missile strike on a US military base in Qatar in June destroyed a dome used for secure communications, a key structure at Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts US Central Command’s forward headquarters.
An international press analysed satellite imagery from Planet Labs PBC showing the dome intact on the morning of June 23, the day of the strike, and then missing in images taken two days later. Scorch marks and minor damage are visible nearby, but the rest of the base appears largely untouched.
Hours after the report, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed the strike hit the dome, describing the overall damage as “minimal” and stressing that Al Udeid remains “fully operational and capable” of supporting US and Qatari defence operations.
The Iranian missile attack was carried out in retaliation for a US bombing of three nuclear sites in Iran. The strike came amid a 12-day Iran-Israel war and preceded a ceasefire deal brokered by then-US President Donald Trump.
He later stated that Iran had signalled the timing and scope of its response in advance, allowing US and Qatari forces to prepare. No casualties were reported, and aircraft had been evacuated from the base before the strike.
While Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard described the attack as “destructive and powerful,” US officials downplayed its impact.
An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader claimed the strike severed communications at the base, though the Pentagon has not confirmed such disruption.
The dome, a radome protecting a satellite terminal, was part of a $15 million communications system installed by the US Air Force in 2016. Its destruction marks one of the few confirmed damages in the exchange.
Qatar has not issued a public comment on the incident.
