Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and UAE: The US military bases in the Gulf that Iran targeted

It’s an all-out war. The US and Israel have launched a joint operation in Iran, with explosions reported in multiple cities include Tehran. In response, Iran has fired missiles at Israel and has also targeted US military bases in West Asia. Explosions were heard in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.

Four US bases in West Asia were targeted as a response to US and Israeli strikes on Iranian cities, Iran’s state-affiliated media reported, citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, and the US Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain were targeted by Iranian missile attacks, Fars news agency said.

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Here is what we know about the US military bases that came under attack.

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Qatar: Al-Udeid Air Base

Loud blasts were also heard in Qatar, as Iran bombs US bases in the Gulf state.

Following air-raid sirens in the country, Qatar’s defence ministry says it successfully shot down all the missiles Iran fired at it before they entered its airspace. “We possess the full ability to protect the country and fend off any external threat,” the Qatari ministry says, adding that the situation in Qatar is “secure and stable.”
Qatar’s aviation authority has announced a temporary closure of the country’s airspace.

Iran was targeting the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military installation in West Asia. It includes the forward components of Centcom and the command’s air forces and special operations forces.

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It also hosts rotating combat aircraft, and the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, which the military says includes “airlift, aerial refuelling, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and aeromedical evacuation assets.”

Iran fired missiles at Al Udeid last June after US strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities.

Kuwait: Al Salem Air Base

The Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait was also on Iran’s hit-list.

The Ali al-Salem Air Base hosts the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, which the military describes as the “primary airlift hub and gateway for delivering combat power to joint and coalition forces” in the region. Additionally, the United States has drones, including MQ-9 Reapers, in Kuwait.

Kuwait also has several US bases, including Camp Arifjan, the location of the forward headquarters for the US Army component of Centcom. The US Army also has stocks of equipment and supplies in the country.

Bahrain: The fifth US base

Explosions have been reported from Bahrain. It came after the Bahraini interior ministry said in a series of alerts on X that emergency sirens had been sounded. It also urged residents to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.

The Bahrainian capital of Manama is home to the US Navy Fifth Fleet. The US Navy base in Bahrain was targeted by an Iranian missile attack, a US official said, describing it as an “active situation.”

According to Bahrain’s National Communication Centre, the service centre of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet has been “subjected to a missile attack”, reports the state-run Bahrain News Agency (BNA). “Further details will be provided in due course,” it adds, without attributing the attack to any country.

“The public is urged to follow instructions issued by the relevant official authorities and to obtain information from official sources only.”

Security Alert - Imminent drone/missile attack in Bahrain

There are media reported threats of missiles/drones over Bahrain. The U.S. Embassy in Manama urges U.S. citizens in Bahrain to shelter in place, review security plans in the event of an attack, and to stay alert in case… pic.twitter.com/rp7zJKmQkT

— U.S. Embassy Manama (@USEmbassyManama) February 28, 2026

The US Navy Fifth Fleet’s responsibility includes the Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean, reports the BBC.

Bahrain’s deep-water port can accommodate the largest US military vessels, such as aircraft carriers, and the US Navy has used the base in the country since 1948, when the facility was operated by Britain’s Royal Navy. Several US ships have their home port in Bahrain, including anti-mine vessels and logistical support ships.

UAE: Al Dhafra Air Base

Explosions were heard in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. The IRGC claims to have fired missiles at the Al Dhafra Air Base. It hosts the US 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, a force that is composed of 10 squadrons of aircraft and also includes drones such as MQ-9 Reapers. Combat aircraft have rotated through Al Dhafra, which also hosts the US Air Force’s hub for “advanced air warfare training.”

The IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency in a post on its X account on Monday published a photo of the UAE’s Al Dhafra Air Base, which houses thousands of US forces, without further comment. pic.twitter.com/hMYIM8ISzs

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) February 3, 2026

One person was killed by falling debris after air defences intercepted Iranian missiles targeting sites in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, state-run WAM news agency said, citing the UAE defence ministry.

The defence ministry said an Asian national was killed after the debris fell on a residential area of Abu Dhabi. The UAE said in the statement that it had intercepted “a number” of ballistic missiles fired by Iran, describing the attack as “a dangerous escalation and a cowardly act”, reports CNN.

Jordan: Muwaffaq Al-Salti Air Base

The Muwaffaq Al-Salti Air Base in Jordan was also targeted by Iran, according to the country’s state media.

Situated 100 km northeast of the capital Amman, it hosts the US Air Force’s Central 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, which has hosted F-35s since 2023, according to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report from July 2024, reports The Indian Express.

A site called Tower 22, located near the Iraq and Syria border and close to Al Tanf in Syria, hosts about 350 US military personnel, CENTCOM reported in January 2024. The CRS report noted that 3,188 military personnel were stationed in Jordan.

With inputs from agencies