Profile of US Military Bases Targeted by Iran
Iran has fulfilled its threat to attack US military bases in the region following prior strikes by Israel and the United States. Following the Israeli and US attacks on Saturday, explosions were reported across several Gulf nations.
The first US base targeted was the Headquarters of the Fifth Fleet of the US Navy in Manama, Bahrain. This command’s area of responsibility encompasses the Gulf, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean.
Iran also targeted Al Udeid Air Base, covering 24 hectares in the desert outside the Qatari capital Doha. This serves as the headquarters of US Central Command, which directs American military operations across a region stretching from Egypt in the west to Kazakhstan in the east. The base, the largest US military installation in the Middle East, houses approximately 10,000 troops. Al Udeid had been targeted by Iranian attacks in June 2025 as retaliation for US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
In Kuwait, several military installations were targeted, including Camp Arifjan, the forward headquarters of the US Army Central Command, and Ali Al Salem Air Base, approximately 40 kilometres from the Iraqi border. This location is known as “The Rock” due to its isolated and rugged environment. Camp Buehring, established during the 2003 Iraq War, serves as a staging post for US Army units deployed to Iraq and Syria. The Fars news agency reported that Ali Al Salem Air Base was struck during today’s attacks.
In the United Arab Emirates, Al Dhafra Air Base, located south of the capital Abu Dhabi, was targeted. The base, shared with the UAE Air Force, is a critical US Air Force hub that has supported operations against ISIS and provides surveillance positioning throughout the region, according to US Air Force Central Command.
Although not a formal military base, Jebel Ali port in Dubai is also the largest US Navy port of call in the Middle East, regularly hosting US aircraft carriers and other vessels.
Explosions were also reported in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. US military personnel in Saudi Arabia, numbering 2,321 as of 2024 according to a White House statement, operate through coordination with the Saudi government, providing air defence and missile capabilities whilst supporting US military aircraft operations. Some are stationed approximately 60 kilometres south of Riyadh at Prince Sultan Air Base, which supports US Army assets including Patriot missile batteries and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system.