Satellite Images Show US Communications Dome Damaged In Iran's Strike On Qatar Air Base

Last Updated:July 11, 2025, 16:03 IST

The attack, which took place on 23 June, appears to have damaged a geodesic dome that protected a satellite terminal used by American forces for secure communications

This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows damage after an Iranian attack at the Al Udeid Air Base outside of Doha, Qatar, June 25. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Satellite images show that an Iranian missile strike last month on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar likely hit a dome housing US military communication equipment. The attack, which took place on 23 June, appears to have damaged a geodesic dome that protected a satellite terminal used by American forces for secure communications.

Al Udeid, located just outside Doha, is a key hub for the US military in the Middle East and serves as the forward headquarters of US Central Command.

Images analysed by The Associated Press show the dome intact on the morning of the attack. However, satellite photos taken two days later, and on subsequent days, show the dome missing and some damage to a nearby building. The rest of the base appears largely unaffected.

The dome, known as a radome, covered a satellite dish and was part of a $15 million modernised enterprise terminal installed in 2016 by the US Air Force’s 379th Air Expeditionary Wing.

While the exact cause of the dome’s destruction is unclear, the damage is consistent with a precision strike, possibly by an Iranian drone or missile. There is little visible damage to surrounding areas, suggesting a targeted attack.

The Iranian strike came in response to US airstrikes on three nuclear sites in Tehran. Those strikes were part of the broader conflict between Iran and Israel, which lasted 12 days. The war ended shortly after the attack on Al Udeid, following a ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump.

Neither the US military nor Qatari authorities have publicly commented on the damage.

Iranian officials claimed the base was “smashed" and its communication links cut. Ahmad Alamolhoda, a senior cleric and adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the attack had “completely destroyed" the base’s communications and disrupted US command operations.

However, Trump downplayed the impact, calling it a “very weak response." He claimed Iran gave advance warning of the strike, allowing US and Qatari forces to prepare and avoid casualties.

The London-based outlet Iran first reported the damage, citing other commercial satellite images.

(With inputs from AP)

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News world Satellite Images Show US Communications Dome Damaged In Iran's Strike On Qatar Air Base