NEW DELHI: Iran on Friday shared a video claiming it had targeted and destroyed a key US communications facility in Qatar during last month’s conflict between Israel and Iran.The Iranian embassy in India posted the video on X and said, “Satellite images show that #Iran has taken out the US military’s primary Communications Radome in Qatar. The second Radome is located in Kuwait.”The claim has drawn further scrutiny after an exclusive report by Iran International, which cited satellite imagery suggesting possible damage to the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar during Iran’s missile strike on June 23.According to Iran International, images captured by private satellite firm Satellogic on June 24 show visible damage to a radome—an advanced geodesic structure believed to house sensitive communications equipment—located at the heart of Al Udeid Air Base. The facility is the largest US military base in the Middle East and serves as the forward headquarters of the US Central Command (CENTCOM).The images reportedly show the radome area as a “blackened smear,” with no other visible damage across the rest of the sprawling base. While the US military has not responded to Iran International’s request for comment, the imagery is the strongest visual indication yet that the missile strike may have caused direct physical damage.The June 23 attack came just one day after US forces launched surprise strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities amid a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel. US President Donald Trump later claimed the operation had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme.Trump dismissed the Iranian retaliation as ineffective. “13 (missiles) were knocked down, and 1 was ‘set free,’ because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction,” he wrote on Truth Social. “I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done.”CENTCOM confirmed the incident in a June 23 statement, saying: “US forces, alongside our Qatari partners, successfully defended against an Iranian ballistic missile attack targeting Qatar’s Al-Udeid Air Base near Doha, Qatar.”The potentially damaged radome is believed to contain a Modernization Enterprise Terminal (MET)—a $15 million satellite communications system, first installed outside the US at Al Udeid in 2016. According to a US Air Force press release cited by Iran International, the MET provides secure voice, video, and data services for troops across the CENTCOM area and is equipped with advanced anti-jamming technology.The system is considered vital for maintaining communications between deployed personnel and US military leadership worldwide.Defence and security analyst Farzin Nadimi told Iran International that the base was protected by two US Army Patriot systems and several Qatari-operated batteries. “From the moment the Iranian missiles were detected, they had just about two minutes to respond,” Nadimi said.He also suggested the possibility of an Iranian drone being involved in the strike. “It may have slipped through while the Patriot batteries were busy intercepting incoming missiles,” he added.The United States did not retaliate after the incident, and President Trump quickly announced a ceasefire, which remains in place. While Washington downplayed the Iranian missile barrage, satellite imagery reviewed by Iran International has raised questions about the true extent of damage to US infrastructure in the Gulf.
