Associated Press reported: Satellite images indicate that Iran’s attack on a key airbase in Qatar targeted a geodesic dome used for U.S. classified communications.
The Iranian attack on the critical Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, significant for the U.S. military, likely targeted a geodesic dome housing equipment for secure communications. Satellite images analyzed by the Associated Press on Friday confirm this.
Neither the U.S. military nor the Qatari government has responded to requests for comment on the damage, which has not yet been publicly confirmed. The attack on Al Udeid Air Base, located outside Doha, Qatar’s capital, occurred on June 23 in response to U.S. bombing of three nuclear sites in Tehran.
Images show signs of burning and complete destruction of the dome following the attack. Satellite imagery from Planet Labs indicates that on the morning of June 23, hours before the attack, the geodesic dome at Al Udeid was still intact and visible. The U.S. Air Force noted in 2016 that this $15 million “Enterprise Modern Terminal” was installed at the site. The images show a satellite dish inside the dome, referred to as a “radome.”
Images taken on June 25 and thereafter show the dome completely destroyed, with damage also visible to a nearby building. It is possible that a missile fragment or another factor struck the dome, but given its total destruction, Iran’s attack appears to be the cause.
