By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

New reports detail damage to key US military infrastructure as Iran expands naval operations and regional tensions persist.

Key Developments

• Air & Space Forces Magazine reported that Iranian missiles severely damaged the Combined Air Operations Center at Al Udeid Air Base.
• Iran’s military announced naval operations involving two US destroyers and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli in the Oman Sea.
• Iranian sources denied reports of enriched uranium transfers and said negotiations with Washington remain suspended.

Naval Operations

Iran’s military announced on Friday that it had carried out naval operations in the Oman Sea involving American warships, saying the moves were part of efforts to enforce maritime security framework in the region.

According to Al-Mayadeen, the Iranian Army launched warning Qader missiles and newly developed Shahed-Dana attack drones toward two US destroyers identified as DDG-103 and DDG-87 after they crossed what Iran described as established maritime boundaries.

The Iranian military said the vessels subsequently departed the Oman Sea and headed toward the Indian Ocean.

Iran also stated that the operation affected other vessels operating alongside the USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group, including the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, which it said also left the area.

In a statement carried by Al-Mayadeen, the Iranian Army stressed that its naval forces remain prepared to employ longer-range missile systems if necessary.

Satellite Images

The announcement was accompanied by additional statements from Iranian state media regarding US naval activity in the region.

According to Iranian television, satellite imagery showed a dispersal of American naval assets following the confrontation.

An Iranian television correspondent reported that US vessels had attempted to enter the Gulf approximately 48 hours earlier while operating with disabled navigation systems before encountering Iranian naval forces.

The report stated that Iranian forces responded and compelled the vessels to alter course.

Iranian officials also said naval authorities have communicated with commercial vessels operating near the Strait of Hormuz, informing them that ships carrying essential goods such as food and fuel can coordinate directly with Iranian authorities for protection and passage planning.

The remarks come weeks after Tehran formally announced the creation of a “maritime control zone” in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Iran’s Maritime Strategy

The latest developments reflect Iran’s increasingly assertive maritime posture following the recent US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic.

On May 21, Tehran officially delineated a controlled maritime area stretching between designated points connecting Iranian territory with the coast of the United Arab Emirates on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian military officials have increasingly emphasized control over strategic waterways as part of the country’s broader security doctrine.

Earlier, Iran’s Army announced that it had targeted a US naval command-and-control center responsible for hostile actions against Iranian commercial shipping in the Oman Sea.

The facility was reportedly located aboard a US destroyer operating near Iranian waters.

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Major Damage at Al Udeid

Meanwhile, a significant report published by Air & Space Forces Magazine revealed new details regarding the impact of Iranian missile strikes during the recent US-Iran war.

According to the publication, several Iranian missiles directly struck the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar during the first weeks of the conflict.

The report cited a senior US official and sources familiar with the attack.

The Combined Air Operations Center has served as the nerve center for American air operations throughout the Middle East for more than two decades.

From the facility, US forces coordinated military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and more recent military actions involving Yemen.

According to the report, the Iranian strikes caused extensive damage and rendered the facility inoperable.

The magazine noted that details of the damage had not previously been disclosed publicly.

Air & Space Forces Magazine reported that US military planners had anticipated Iranian retaliation and therefore transferred operations to Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina before the conflict escalated.

Personnel stationed at Al Udeid were reportedly relocated prior to the outbreak of hostilities.

Despite these precautions, the report stated that the strikes inflicted substantial damage on the command facility.

The publication further noted that the scale of destruction has prompted discussions regarding whether rebuilding the center remains practical given its proximity to Iran and its vulnerability during future conflicts.

The revelation is one of the most significant public assessments to emerge regarding the effectiveness of Iran’s military response during the recent war.

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Additional Damage in Kuwait

The Al Udeid report followed additional evidence of damage to US military infrastructure elsewhere in the region.

Earlier this week, satellite imagery published by Iran’s ISNA news agency appeared to show the destruction of a hangar used for drones or aircraft at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.

The facility was reportedly damaged during Iranian retaliatory strikes following the US attack on Iranian territory.

The images added to a growing body of evidence suggesting that multiple American military facilities across the region sustained damage during the conflict.

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Iran Rejects Reports

Meanwhile, Iranian officials addressed reports concerning ongoing diplomacy with Washington.

A source familiar with negotiations told the Iranian Fars News Agency that reports claiming Tehran had agreed to transfer part of its enriched uranium stockpile to a third country were entirely false.

The source stressed that nuclear-related issues are not currently under discussion and would only be addressed at later stages of any future negotiations.

According to Fars, Tehran maintains that several fundamental issues must first be resolved before discussions can advance to other topics.

The same source also disclosed that negotiations between Iran and the United States regarding a proposed memorandum of understanding aimed at reducing tensions have effectively halted.

According to Fars, discussions were suspended following US attacks on commercial vessels south of Iran and continuing Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon.

(Al Mayadeen, US Media, FARS, ISNA, PC)