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Almost all US Military bases hit by Iran: Is America unable to safeguard its assets Middle-East?

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Almost all US bases hit by Iran: Is America unable to safeguard its Middle East military assets?

Almost all US bases hit by Iran: Is America unable to safeguard its Middle East military assets?

TOI World Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Mar 01, 2026, 22:29 IST

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[Iran’s Salvos RIP OPEN U.S. Air Defence Umbrella; After Iron Domes, America Defence Shield ‘Smashed’]

NEW DELHI: Hours after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a sweeping US–Israel operation, Tehran launched what it described as a broad retaliatory campaign targeting American and Israeli military assets across the Middle East.Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that all Israeli and US military targets in the region had been struck “by the powerful blows of Iranian missiles”.

Iran’s Salvos RIP OPEN U.S. Air Defence Umbrella; After Iron Domes, America Defence Shield ‘Smashed’

“This operation will continue relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated,” the IRGC said, adding that all US assets throughout the region were now considered legitimate targets.The scale and geography of the attacks have triggered a pressing question: is the United States struggling to safeguard its military footprint in the Gulf, and are its layered air defence systems being stretched to their limits?

A multi-front retaliation across the Gulf

Iran’s retaliation was not confined to a single theatre. According to Iranian state-linked outlets and regional media, missiles and drones were launched towards US-linked assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq’s Kurdish region.

Israel attacks Iran

In Abu Dhabi, at least one person was reported killed after several missiles launched from Iran were intercepted, according to the UAE’s state news agency. A fire broke out near a hotel on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah after what officials later described as an “incident” in a building that injured four people.Footage verified by BBC showed thick smoke rising from a luxury hotel in Dubai, while other videos captured loud explosions and interceptions in the skies over Doha and Manama.

In Bahrain, the government confirmed that a missile attack targeted the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Manama. The kingdom described it as a “treacherous attack” and “a blatant violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty and security”.Video circulating on social media appeared to show a drone striking a tower block near the naval headquarters, setting it ablaze. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said several residential buildings had been hit and civil defence teams were engaged in rescue and firefighting operations.

CENTCOM confirms US casualties

Amid the barrage of claims and counterclaims, US Central Command issued an update from Tampa, Florida.“As of 9:30 am ET, March 1, three US service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury,” CENTCOM said.Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions and were being returned to duty, it added, noting that major combat operations continued and the situation remained fluid.The confirmation of American fatalities marks a significant escalation, raising the stakes for Washington and reinforcing concerns over the vulnerability of forward-deployed US forces.

Kuwait and Qatar: Bases under fire

In Kuwait, the defence ministry said Ali al-Salem Air Base came under attack by ballistic missiles, all of which were intercepted by Kuwaiti air defence systems. However, a drone targeted Kuwait International Airport, leaving employees with minor injuries and causing material damage.Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry said the country maintained its right to defend itself.In Qatar, the defence ministry said it had “thwarted” attacks under a “pre-approved security plan”, intercepting all missiles before they reached the country’s territory. Sources speaking to Al Jazeera reported that a long-range early warning radar in northern Qatar had been targeted.The Qatari foreign ministry called the attack “a flagrant violation of its national sovereignty” and “an unacceptable escalation”, noting that Doha had sought to distance itself from regional conflicts.

Saudi Arabia and Iraq drawn in

Saudi Arabia confirmed that Iran had targeted Riyadh and the kingdom’s eastern region, adding that the attacks were repelled.“These attacks cannot be justified under any pretext or in any way,” the Saudi foreign ministry said, stressing that the kingdom had previously confirmed it would not allow its territory to be used to target Iran.In Iraq, Erbil International Airport in the Kurdish region was reportedly targeted twice. US air defences shot down a drone near a US military base close to Erbil, according to Reuters. The Iraqi government later confirmed air strikes on Jurf al-Nasr, a military base housing Kataib Hezbollah elements integrated into the regular army.Kataib Hezbollah warned that it would soon begin attacking American bases “in response to their aggression”.

Iran claims strike on USS Abraham Lincoln, US denies hit

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