Doha — A satellite image analysis suggests that Iran’s June 23 strike on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar may have hit a critical US military communications structure — a geodesic dome — used by the US Air Force for secure communications.
The satellite imagery, accessed by the Associated Press, shows that the dome was present at the base on the morning of June 23, hours before the Iranian attack. However, follow-up images from June 25 reveal the dome is missing, and there appears to be visible damage to a nearby building, indicating the dome was likely destroyed or severely damaged.
The Al Udeid Air Base, located near Doha, is a vital hub for the US Central Command (CENTCOM) operations in the Middle East.
The dome, known as a Modern Enterprise Terminal, was installed by the US in 2016 at a cost of $15 million and played a pivotal role in military satellite communications.
Despite the apparent damage, the US military had reportedly moved its aircraft from the air base to the forward headquarters of CENTCOM ahead of the strike, minimizing the impact. Neither the US nor Qatari governments have issued an official statement confirming or denying the extent of the damage.
The Iranian strike was in retaliation for US-led attacks on three of Tehran’s nuclear facilities — Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow — and occurred just before a ceasefire understanding was brokered between Iran and Israel by President Donald Trump.
Following the strike, Trump downplayed the impact, calling it a “very weak response” and claimed the US had prior knowledge of the attack.
“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 said in a post on Truth Social.
He further claimed:
“13 of the 14 missiles fired by Iran were intercepted while one was ‘set free’ because it was headed in a ‘nonthreatening’ direction.”
In contrast, Iran described the strike as “destructive and powerful.” An adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei went further, alleging that the attack disrupted the air base’s communications systems.
The incident marks a notable escalation in US-Iran tensions and raises new questions about vulnerabilities at key American military installations in the Gulf region.