Explosions in Gulf capitals as Iran targets US bases: Which six Middle East countries are in the firing line

US military personnel participate in a Best Squad Competition at the Buehring base in Udairi, in Kuwait, on May 10, 2023. (Image Source: Yasser Al-Zayyat)

US and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered explosions and missile interceptions across Gulf capitals. Iran retaliated with missile attacks, targeting US bases. US forces in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Syria, and UAE remain on high alert amid escalating regional conflict.

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The wave of strikes launched by the United States and Israel against Iran has already begun to reverberate across the Middle East, with explosions reported in several Gulf capitals and warnings of further retaliation.

Explosions were heard in Abu Dhabi and Qatar, and Qatar’s defence authorities said they intercepted Iranian missiles hours after the joint attacks on Iranian targets. Reports from Bahrain confirmed that a missile strike targeted the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters, part of America’s strategic deployment in the region. Sirens sounded over Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain as regional air defences engaged incoming threats and governments issued alerts to residents.

These developments underscore the expanding scope of the conflict, with Iran launching a barrage of missiles in response to the US-Israel offensive while American forces across the Gulf remain on high alert for further strikes.

Mentioned below are some of the major concentrations of US forces in the region, which fall under the US military’s Central Command, known as CENTCOM.

Bahrain

The tiny Gulf kingdom hosts an installation known as Naval Support Activity Bahrain, where the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and US Naval Forces Central Command headquarters are based.

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.

Iraq

The United States has troops in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State group, but their mission is due to end by September under a deal between Washington and Baghdad.

American forces have already completed their withdrawal from facilities in federal Iraq, whose government is a close ally of Iran but also a strategic partner of Washington, under the same agreement.

US forces in Iraq and Syria were repeatedly targeted by pro-Iran militants following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, but responded with heavy strikes on Tehran-linked targets, and the attacks largely subsided.

Kuwait

Kuwait 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.

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.

Qatar

Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar includes the forward components of CENTCOM, as well as the command’s air forces and special operations forces.

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

Qatar’s air defence authorities reported intercepting Iranian missiles over Doha during the latest escalation.

Syria

The United States for years maintained troops in Syria as part of international efforts against the Islamic State group, which rose out of the country’s civil war to overrun large parts of that country and neighbouring Iraq.

US forces are currently in the process of withdrawing from Syria, and three sources told AFP earlier this week that the American exit would be completed within a month.

United Arab Emirates

Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE hosts the US 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, a force composed of 10 squadrons of aircraft and also including drones such as MQ-9 Reapers.

Combat aircraft have rotated through Al Dhafra, which also hosts the US Air Forces’ hub for advanced air warfare training.