Iran has struck at least three bases hosting U.S. assets in the Middle East since July, according to an analysis of satellite imagery and video by ABC News. The strikes, which Iran claims were in response to renewed hostilities with the U.S. that began in late February, have damaged facilities in Jordan, Bahrain, and Qatar. Additionally, a former United Nations base camp and an industrial area in Kuwait have reportedly been struck.
While the operational damage from these specific strikes appears limited, they demonstrate Iran's continued capability to target U.S. interests. Sam Lair, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, noted that the strikes indicate the U.S. has "failed to successfully attrit their forces to the extent where they can no longer do these types of attacks."
Ken Pollack, vice president for policy at the Middle East Institute and a former CIA military analyst, suggested that Iran is deliberately targeting military bases over civilian sites to control escalation and minimize the risk of significant U.S. retaliation. He also indicated that Iran may have identified vulnerabilities in U.S. and Gulf defenses through its testing since the conflict began.
Satellite imagery from July 12 showed apparent damage to a warehouse building at the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain. Lair described the site as symbolically important, demonstrating that "Iranians are able to hold at threat American targets."
The southern part of a building at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar also sustained damage, according to satellite imagery from July 12. Lair suggested that this damage could make flight operations from the base more difficult. He characterized Al Udeid as accessible and not heavily defended, though sensitive materials and personnel were reportedly moved prior to the conflict's escalation.
Pollack emphasized that Iran does not need to cripple U.S. operations or destroy cities to achieve its objectives. "All they need to do is to be able to threaten to do so," he stated, adding that periodic attacks on Gulf states are "absolutely ruinous to the futures that they charted out for themselves."
CENTCOM has declined to comment on the reported strikes. U.S. President Donald Trump has asserted that the U.S. is "knocking out all of [Iran's] offensive capability" and has reinstated a naval blockade on commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
These strikes collectively indicate Iran's ongoing ability to strike a wide range of targets in the region and to hold the Strait of Hormuz at risk, despite a prolonged U.S. air campaign. Lair concluded that the attacks serve as a reminder to Gulf nations of their vulnerability to Iranian actions.