What satellite images reveal about damage to US bases in the Gulf amid Iran retaliatory strikes
Satellite imagery analyzed by ABC News shows the extent of damage inflicted by Iran's retaliatory strikes across the Gulf region and beyond since the beginning of the war between Iran and the U.S. and Israel.
As soon as the U.S. and Israel began strikes on Iran on Saturday morning, Iran or its proxies began conducting retaliatory strikes on 10 countries, primarily targeting U.S. interests in the region.
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Satellite imagery from Planet Labs shows damage at the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, including the destruction of several large buildings, as well as two satellite communications terminals.
The damage occurred on Saturday, the first day of the war, and was visible in the satellite imagery from Sunday. That night, the Bahrain Interior Ministry said a drone struck the port about half a mile away as well.
The Ali Al Salem Base in Kuwait, which hosts U.S. troops, was also visibly damaged, as seen in satellite imagery taken on Sunday. Several buildings on the base show signs of being hit by projectiles, with varying degrees of damage.
Low-resolution Planet Labs imagery also indicates damage at other bases in Kuwait -- Camp Buehring and Camp Arifjan -- according to analysis done by ABC News' Visual Verification team.
A satellite image also captured by Planet Labs in the nearby United Arab Emirates shows several fires at the Jebel Ali Port in Dubai on Sunday.
That day, the UAE’s Ministry of Defense said the country had so far been targeted with 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles and 541 drones. It said it intercepted the majority of these.
On the same day, a large fire broke out in Sharja, north of Dubai, as seen in Planet Labs satellite imagery.
Dubai has been the target of numerous strikes, with drones causing fires at several hotels in the city, according to the Government of Dubai Media Office.
Imagery shared by satellite image company Vantor shows the fire at the Ras Tanura refinery in Saudi Arabia on Monday. Aramco Ras Tanura is Saudi Arabia’s largest refinery and one of the largest in the world, according to Bloomberg.
"Two drones that attempted to attack Ras Tanura refinery this morning were intercepted and destroyed," the Saudi Defense Ministry said on Monday.
"The interception operation caused shrapnel to fall near civilian facilities and civilians," it added, saying the fire was a result of falling shrapnel from the interception, not the drone itself.
