Iran Strikes Back: Where Iran Retaliated, What Was Hit, and Damage Reports

Overview of Iran's Retaliatory Strikes

Within approximately four hours of the first US and Israeli strikes hitting Iranian territory, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force launched a massive retaliatory missile barrage targeting American military installations across the Persian Gulf region. The strikes represent the largest direct Iranian attack on US military forces in history, surpassing the January 2020 strikes on Al Asad Air Base in Iraq (which followed the killing of IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani) both in the number of missiles launched and the number of countries targeted. (Reuters)

IRGC Commander-in-Chief Major General Hossein Salami announced the retaliatory operation on Iranian state television, declaring: "The Islamic Republic has responded with righteous fury to the criminal aggression of the American and Zionist regimes. Our missiles have struck the nests of the aggressors across the region. This is merely the first chapter of our response." The IRGC designated the operation "True Promise III" (Va'deh Sadegh-3), following the naming convention established with True Promise I (April 2024 against Israel) and True Promise II (October 2024 against Israel). (Al Jazeera)

Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder confirmed in a press briefing that "multiple US military installations in the CENTCOM area of responsibility came under ballistic and cruise missile attack from Iranian forces" and that "US and allied missile defense systems engaged incoming threats." He stated that damage assessments were ongoing and declined to provide specific casualty figures, saying only that "there are injuries being assessed at several locations." (AP)

The geographic scope of the Iranian strikes is notable. By targeting bases in five different countries simultaneously, Iran demonstrated a capacity for coordinated, multi-axis attack that military planners had long theorized but had not previously witnessed. The strikes also created an immediate diplomatic crisis for the Gulf states hosting US forces, several of which had sought to maintain neutral or conciliatory postures toward Tehran. (CNN)

Timeline of Iranian Strikes

The following timeline reconstructs the sequence of Iranian retaliatory strikes based on Pentagon briefings, satellite data, seismic monitoring, and reports from journalists embedded at Gulf military installations. All times are in Eastern Standard Time (EST). (Reuters)

Time (EST)	Event	Location
2:45 AM	First US/Israeli strikes hit Tehran	Iran
5:10 AM	IRGC announces "True Promise III"	Tehran (state TV)
5:18 AM	Infrared satellite detects multiple MRBM launches	Western Iran (Kermanshah province)
5:22 AM	Additional launches detected	Central Iran (Isfahan province)
5:34 AM	Patriot PAC-3 engagements confirmed at Al Udeid	Qatar
5:36 AM	THAAD intercepts over Kuwait	Kuwait
5:38 AM	Explosions reported at Al Udeid Air Base	Qatar
5:41 AM	Explosions reported near Ali Al Salem Air Base	Kuwait
5:45 AM	Cruise missile intercepts over Bahrain	Bahrain
5:52 AM	Second wave of launches detected	Southern Iran (Khuzestan province)
6:05 AM	Impacts reported near Al Dhafra Air Base	UAE
6:15 AM	Strikes on Ain Al Asad Air Base	Iraq
6:30 AM	Third wave: cruise missile launches from IRGC Navy	Persian Gulf (naval vessels)
7:00 AM	Pentagon confirms "multiple installations" hit	Washington, D.C.

The four-hour gap between the initial US strikes on Iran and the Iranian retaliation is significant. Military analysts interpret this delay as indicating that the IRGC had pre-positioned its missile forces in dispersed, hardened locations and required time to execute launch authorization procedures after confirming the scope of the American attack. The IRGC's decision to launch from multiple provinces simultaneously, creating converging trajectories that complicated missile defense, suggests significant pre-planning. (CSIS)

Country-by-Country Damage Assessment

Qatar

Al Udeid Air Base, located approximately 20 miles southwest of Doha, serves as the forward headquarters for both CENTCOM and the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) that coordinates all US and allied air operations in the Middle East. It hosts approximately 10,000 US military personnel and serves as the nerve center for Operation Epic Fury. Al Udeid was struck by at least 6 ballistic missiles, of which Patriot PAC-3 batteries intercepted at least 4. Two missiles are believed to have impacted the base, with one striking near the northern runway complex and another impacting a logistics staging area. Satellite imagery captured approximately 90 minutes after the strikes shows fires burning at two locations within the base perimeter. The runway's operational status is unconfirmed, but the CAOC is reported to have continued functioning from hardened underground facilities. Qatar's government issued a statement expressing "deep concern" and calling for "an immediate cessation of hostilities by all parties." (Al Jazeera)

Kuwait

Ali Al Salem Air Base and Camp Arifjan, the two primary US military installations in Kuwait, were both targeted. Ali Al Salem, which serves as the main aerial port of debarkation for US forces flowing into the region, was struck by a combination of Shahab-3 ballistic missiles and Fateh-110 short-range missiles. US THAAD batteries positioned in Kuwait engaged at least 5 incoming ballistic missiles at high altitude, with the Patriot system providing lower-tier coverage. At least one missile impacted within the Ali Al Salem perimeter, reportedly striking near aircraft maintenance facilities. Camp Arifjan, located further south and housing the forward headquarters of US Army Central, was targeted by cruise missiles, at least two of which were intercepted by Patriot systems. Kuwait immediately suspended all commercial flights from Kuwait International Airport and activated civil defense sirens across Kuwait City. (Reuters)

United Arab Emirates

Al Dhafra Air Base, located near Abu Dhabi and home to approximately 3,500 US military personnel along with F-35A stealth fighters and MQ-9 Reaper drones, was targeted by at least 4 medium-range ballistic missiles. The UAE's own THAAD battery, acquired in 2016, engaged incoming threats alongside US Patriot systems. Emirati authorities reported that all ballistic missiles targeting Al Dhafra were intercepted, though debris from one intercept caused minor damage to structures outside the base perimeter. The UAE, which had normalized relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords in 2020, now faces the consequences of hosting US forces used in strikes against Iran. Abu Dhabi has not issued an official statement beyond confirming that "air defense systems were activated to protect national territory." (CNN)

Bahrain

Naval Support Activity Bahrain, headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet and US Naval Forces Central Command, was targeted by land-attack cruise missiles launched from Iranian territory. The base, located in the Juffair district of Manama, houses approximately 9,000 US military and civilian personnel and is the command center for naval operations in the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Red Sea. Patriot batteries and ship-based Aegis missile defense systems intercepted at least 3 incoming cruise missiles. No impacts within the base perimeter were reported, though Bahraini civil defense authorities confirmed that missile debris fell in an unpopulated area south of Manama. Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa convened an emergency security council meeting. (AP)

Iraq

Ain Al Asad Air Base in Anbar province, the largest US military facility in Iraq and the same base targeted by Iran following the Soleimani killing in 2020, was struck by a combination of short-range ballistic missiles and rocket artillery likely launched by Iranian-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah militias operating in eastern Iraq in coordination with IRGC forces. At least 8 projectiles impacted within or near the base perimeter. US forces at Ain Al Asad activated C-RAM (Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar) systems and Patriot batteries. The Iraqi government, which has struggled to balance its relationships with Washington and Tehran, issued a statement condemning "all attacks on Iraqi sovereignty" without specifically naming either the US or Iran. (Al Jazeera)

Weapons Used by Iran

Iran's retaliatory strike package employed a diverse arsenal reflecting decades of indigenous missile development. The IRGC Aerospace Force maintains one of the largest and most varied ballistic missile arsenals in the Middle East, with an estimated inventory of over 3,000 missiles of various ranges and types. The strikes on February 28 utilized at least four distinct weapon systems. (CSIS)

The Shahab-3, a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) with a range of approximately 1,300 kilometers (800 miles), formed the backbone of the long-range component. Derived from the North Korean Nodong-1 design, the Shahab-3 carries a warhead of approximately 750 to 1,000 kilograms and has been progressively upgraded with improved guidance systems, including GPS-aided inertial navigation that provides a circular error probable (CEP) of approximately 100 to 300 meters, depending on the variant. The liquid-fueled Shahab-3 requires several hours of preparation before launch, which may explain the delay between the US strikes and the Iranian response. Pentagon analysts identified at least 15 Shahab-3 launches based on infrared satellite signatures. (Reuters)

The Fateh-110 and its upgraded variant, the Fateh-313, are solid-fueled short-range ballistic missiles with ranges of 300 to 500 kilometers. These weapons offer significantly faster launch preparation times and greater mobility than the liquid-fueled Shahab-3, making them harder to target preemptively. The Fateh series uses a combination of inertial and electro-optical terminal guidance, giving it a CEP of approximately 10 to 50 meters, making it one of Iran's most accurate conventional strike weapons. These missiles were used primarily against targets in Kuwait and Iraq, which fall within their range envelope from launch sites in Khuzestan province. (AP)

Iranian state media claimed that Fattah-2 hypersonic missiles were used in the attack. The Fattah, first unveiled in 2023 and tested in 2024, is described by Iran as a hypersonic weapon capable of reaching speeds of Mach 13 to 15 and executing evasive maneuvers during the terminal phase to defeat missile defense systems. Western defense analysts have expressed skepticism about the Fattah's true capabilities, noting that Iran's description of the weapon more closely matches a maneuverable reentry vehicle (MaRV) than a true hypersonic glide vehicle. Whether or not the Fattah performed as claimed, the Pentagon has not confirmed the use of any hypersonic weapons in the Iranian salvo. (CNN)

The IRGC also deployed land-attack cruise missiles, likely variants of the Hoveyzeh (range ~1,350 km) and Quds-1 cruise missiles. These subsonic, terrain-hugging weapons are harder to detect by radar than ballistic missiles but are slower and more vulnerable to interception by short-range air defense systems. The cruise missiles were primarily directed at targets in Bahrain and the UAE, suggesting an attempt to saturate defenses from multiple threat axes simultaneously. (CSIS)

Defensive Intercepts

The US military's layered missile defense architecture in the Persian Gulf region was tested under combat conditions for the first time against a state-level adversary launching a coordinated multi-axis attack. The system comprises three primary tiers: the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system for high-altitude intercepts, the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) for lower-altitude ballistic missile and cruise missile defense, and the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system deployed on US Navy destroyers and cruisers in the Gulf. (Pentagon briefing)

The THAAD system, which uses kinetic "hit-to-kill" interceptors to destroy ballistic missiles at altitudes above 150 kilometers, engaged incoming Shahab-3 missiles during their terminal descent phase. THAAD batteries are deployed in both Kuwait and the UAE, and a third battery was reportedly rushed to Qatar in the days preceding the strikes. Early reports suggest THAAD achieved a high intercept rate against the Shahab-3 missiles, though the Pentagon declined to provide specific numbers. The system was designed to counter exactly this type of threat: medium-range ballistic missiles with relatively predictable trajectories. (Reuters)

The Patriot PAC-3 MSE (Missile Segment Enhancement), the most advanced variant of the Patriot system, provided the primary lower-tier defense at each installation. PAC-3 interceptors use hit-to-kill technology against both ballistic missiles in their terminal phase and cruise missiles. Multiple Patriot batteries are deployed at each major US installation in the Gulf, with overlapping coverage designed to provide multiple engagement opportunities against each incoming threat. The system faced its most demanding test at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, where the convergence of multiple incoming missiles from different azimuths appears to have overwhelmed the system's engagement capacity, allowing at least two missiles to impact. (AP)

Naval Aegis systems aboard guided-missile destroyers in the Gulf contributed to the defense, engaging missiles during their midcourse phase using SM-3 and SM-6 interceptors. The Aegis system's SPY-1 radar can track hundreds of objects simultaneously and provide early warning data to shore-based Patriot and THAAD batteries. The integration of these naval assets into the land-based defense network was critical in extending the engagement window and increasing the overall probability of kill against each incoming threat. (CNN)

Casualty Reports

Casualty figures from Iran's retaliatory strikes remain contested and unconfirmed as of the latest available reporting. The Pentagon has adopted a notably cautious posture, with Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder stating only that "there are injuries being assessed at several locations" and that "next of kin notifications are ongoing." This carefully worded statement has been interpreted by military correspondents as indicating that there are fatalities, though the Pentagon has not confirmed this directly. (AP)

Iranian state television, citing IRGC sources, claimed that the strikes killed "hundreds of American soldiers" and destroyed "dozens of aircraft and military vehicles." These claims should be treated with extreme skepticism. During the January 2020 strikes on Ain Al Asad Air Base, Iran initially claimed to have killed 80 US soldiers, when in reality no Americans were killed, though more than 100 later received diagnoses of traumatic brain injury (TBI) from blast concussion. Iranian state media has a documented pattern of inflating strike outcomes for domestic propaganda purposes. (Reuters)

The Gulf state governments hosting the targeted bases have provided limited information. Qatar's Ministry of Defense confirmed that "a number of personnel at Al Udeid sustained injuries" without providing figures. Kuwait's state news agency reported that "several Kuwaiti military personnel were injured by falling debris" near Ali Al Salem. The UAE stated that no Emirati casualties resulted from the attacks. Iraq's Joint Operations Command reported that three Iraqi soldiers were killed and eleven wounded at installations near Ain Al Asad. (Al Jazeera)

Independent verification is hampered by the immediate lockdown of all targeted installations. Journalists embedded at Al Udeid were confined to shelters and had their communications restricted. The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement calling on the Pentagon to allow reporting access. Satellite imagery from commercial providers is expected to become available within 24 to 48 hours and will provide the first independent assessment of physical damage. (CNN)

Base-by-Base Status

Installation	Country	Personnel	Status	Reported Impacts
Al Udeid Air Base	Qatar	~10,000	Damaged, operational	2 confirmed impacts
Ali Al Salem Air Base	Kuwait	~5,000	Damaged, assessing	1 confirmed impact
Camp Arifjan	Kuwait	~8,000	All intercepts successful	0 confirmed impacts
Al Dhafra Air Base	UAE	~3,500	All intercepts successful	0 confirmed impacts (debris damage)
NSA Bahrain	Bahrain	~9,000	All intercepts successful	0 confirmed impacts
Ain Al Asad Air Base	Iraq	~2,500	Damaged, operational	3+ confirmed impacts
Camp Victory (Baghdad)	Iraq	~1,500	Rocket attack, minor	Indirect fire only
Isa Air Base	Bahrain	~500	Targeted, not confirmed hit	Under assessment

The operational status of Al Udeid is the most consequential question. As the hub of the CAOC, any disruption to Al Udeid's ability to coordinate air operations would significantly impact the ongoing US campaign against Iran. Pentagon officials have stated that the CAOC continued to function throughout the attacks from hardened underground facilities, and that a backup CAOC at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina was activated as a contingency. The two runway impacts at Al Udeid are being assessed for damage, but the base has multiple runways and taxiways, and temporary repairs to restore flight operations typically take 6 to 12 hours for a well-resourced military engineering unit. (Pentagon briefing)

Iranian State Media Claims

Iranian state media, including Press TV, IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency), and Tasnim News Agency (affiliated with the IRGC), have provided extensive but largely unverifiable coverage of the retaliatory strikes. The state broadcaster interrupted regular programming to air footage purporting to show missile launches from IRGC underground facilities, with commentary describing the operation as "a devastating blow to American military power in the region." (Al Jazeera)

Specific claims made by Iranian state media include: the destruction of "at least 30 American fighter aircraft" on the ground at Al Udeid and Ali Al Salem; the killing of "more than 300 American military personnel"; the complete destruction of a Patriot missile battery at Al Udeid; and the sinking of a US Navy vessel in the Persian Gulf. None of these claims have been corroborated by independent sources, and several are almost certainly false. No reports from any source other than Iranian media have mentioned a naval vessel being struck, and the claim of 30 destroyed aircraft would imply a level of base penetration inconsistent with the reported two impacts at Al Udeid. (Reuters)

IRGC Commander Hossein Salami appeared on state television approximately two hours after the strikes, flanked by senior military commanders, and stated that "90% of our missiles reached their targets" and that "American missile defense systems proved completely ineffective against the fury of Iranian ballistic missiles." This claim contradicts both Pentagon statements and independent satellite data suggesting a high intercept rate. However, the claim that some missiles penetrated US defenses is consistent with Pentagon acknowledgment of impacts at Al Udeid and Ali Al Salem. (CNN)

The information environment surrounding the strikes is extremely challenging. With Iranian internet at approximately 4% of normal capacity, very little unfiltered information is emerging from inside Iran. Meanwhile, official statements from both sides are shaped by propaganda objectives: the US is motivated to minimize the apparent damage to project strength, while Iran is motivated to exaggerate results to satisfy domestic audiences demanding a forceful response. Independent verification through satellite imagery and on-the-ground journalism will be essential in the coming days. (AP)

International Reaction

The international response to Iran's retaliatory strikes has been swift but fractured along predictable geopolitical lines. The UN Security Council convened an emergency session, the second in 12 hours following the earlier session called to address the US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement calling for an "immediate cessation of all military operations by all parties" and warning that "the cycle of escalation risks a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions." (AP)

Russia and China, which had already condemned the US-Israeli strikes, used the Iranian retaliation to reinforce their narrative. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the Iranian strikes as "a predictable and justified response to unprovoked American aggression" and warned that "the United States bears full responsibility for the destabilization of the region." China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson urged "all parties to exercise restraint" while noting that "the root cause of the current crisis is the illegal use of force by the United States." (Reuters)

European allies of the United States found themselves in a difficult position. The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs called for de-escalation without explicitly endorsing either the US strikes or the Iranian retaliation, a balancing act that drew criticism from both Washington and Tehran. The United Kingdom, which has military personnel at several of the targeted installations, expressed "deep concern" and stated that British forces were "safe and accounted for." France called for an emergency NATO consultations under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Germany urged "all parties to return to diplomacy immediately." (CNN)

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states whose territory was struck face the most acute diplomatic dilemma. Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Bahrain all host US military bases that are now targets in a conflict they did not initiate. Several of these countries had been working to improve relations with Iran in recent years, and the strikes risk drawing them into a war against their neighbor. Saudi Arabia, which does not host a significant US military presence, issued a notably restrained statement calling for "calm and dialogue" without condemning either side. (Al Jazeera)

What's Next

The immediate question is whether the exchange of strikes between the US/Israel and Iran escalates further or whether a pause emerges. Several factors will determine the trajectory. First, the actual casualty toll at US bases: if American deaths are confirmed in significant numbers, domestic political pressure on the White House to escalate further will be immense. Second, Iran's stated position that this is "merely the first chapter" of its response leaves open the possibility of additional strikes, proxy attacks, or unconventional operations including cyberattacks on US infrastructure. (Reuters)

The status of the Strait of Hormuz remains the most consequential variable. The IRGC Navy has deployed fast attack craft and anti-ship missile batteries along the Iranian coastline flanking the strait. Any attempt to interdict commercial shipping would trigger a naval confrontation with the US Fifth Fleet and send oil prices, already above $95 per barrel, into triple digits. Insurance rates for tankers transiting the strait have already increased tenfold, and several major shipping companies have suspended Gulf transits pending security assessments. (CNN)

Diplomatically, the Swiss Embassy in Tehran and the Omani backchannel remain the primary conduits for US-Iran communication. Qatar, despite being struck by Iranian missiles, has historically served as a mediator and may attempt to revive that role. However, the scale of military operations on both sides has dramatically narrowed the diplomatic space. The UN Security Council remains deadlocked, with Russia and China blocking any resolution that would authorize enforcement action, and the US vetoing any resolution that would condemn its strikes. (AP)

The coming 24 to 48 hours are critical. If Iran limits its retaliation to the strikes already conducted, there is a narrow window for de-escalation. If additional Iranian strikes follow, or if the US expands Operation Epic Fury in response to attacks on its bases, the conflict could rapidly evolve from a contained exchange into a sustained regional war with implications far beyond the Persian Gulf. (CSIS)

Related Coverage

• Iran Retaliation: US Bases Targeted
• Operation Epic Fury Explained
• Iran Missile Range Map: What the Ranges Mean
• Gulf States Response to Iran Attacks
• Regional Missile Defense Systems: Middle East Explainer

Sources

Last updated: February 28, 2026. This article is revised when new evidence materially changes what can be stated with confidence.