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Iranian Missile Strike Confirmed at Al Udeid Air Base: Satellite Images Reveal Damage
The Pentagon has finally admitted an Iranian ballistic missile struck Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base in June, despite earlier downplaying the incident. Satellite images confirm damage to a critical communications dome, raising questions about the attack's true impact on US operations.
On July 12, 2025 – In a significant development, the Pentagon on Friday (July 11, 2025) officially acknowledged that an Iranian ballistic missile successfully struck Al Udeid Air Base,Doha in Qatar this June. This admission follows the publication of compelling satellite images by The Associated Press, which clearly depict damage at the vital US military installation.
Previously, President Donald Trump had downplayed the severity of the assault, but the Pentagon's statement, delivered by spokesman Sean Parnell, now confirms a direct hit. The Iranian attack on June 23rd specifically targeted and damaged a critical geodesic dome, known as a radome, which housed a $15 million "modernized enterprise terminal" used for secure US military communications.
Satellite imagery from Planet Labs PBC offers a stark visual timeline of the incident. Photos taken on the morning of June 23rd, just hours before the attack, show the radome intact. However, subsequent images from June 25th and thereafter reveal its complete disappearance, with visible damage to a nearby building. Despite this, the broader base appears largely unaffected, according to the satellite analysis.
"The strike did minimal damage to equipment and structures on the base," stated Mr. Parnell. He further emphasised, "Al Udeid Air Base remains fully operational and capable of conducting its mission, alongside our Qatari partners, to provide security and stability in the region."
This incident, part of a larger retaliatory action by Iran following US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, highlights the ongoing tensions in the region. While the Pentagon maintains the base's operational integrity, the confirmed hit on a key communications asset raises important questions about the effectiveness of air defence systems and the potential implications for future military operations. The US Air Force's 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, operating from Al Udeid, had installed the crucial communication terminal in 2016.
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