Satellite imagery shows US aircraft have withdrawn from Al Udeid and Al Dhafra airbases in the gulf

Murray Hunter


Satellite imagery shows US aircraft have withdrawn from Al Udeid and Al Dhafra airbases in the gulf

Future US air attacks on Iran must come from much further afield


Murray Hunter
Jul 26, 2026





Satellite imagery released by independent open-source intelligence group EGYOCENT indicate that that US military aircraft have all been evacuated from Al Udeid and Al Dhafra airbases in Qatar and the EAU respectively. All US equipment to service military aircraft has also been removed.

Both of the above airbases in the Gulf were instrumental on the early attacks on Iran by US forces. Iran has been (and is continuing) attacks on these bases even after the MOU was signed with the US last month.

The attacks on Al Udeid and Al Dhafra airbases has been part of larger attacks by Iran on other airbases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. THAAD and C-RAM radar and early warning systems have been targeted and disabled, as well as mission control centres, Maintenance centres, tarmac service equipment, and crew quarters during the war.

Aircraft now removed.

Iran has focused its attacks on eliminating the US ability to launch air attacks on Iran, rather than engage in indiscriminate warfare. The damage costs to the United States is reported to be in the Billions of Dollars.

Very scarce photography of damaged US radar system in the gulf

An aerial overhead view of “Ops Town” at at Al Udeid Air Base (AB), Al Rayyan Province, Qatar (QAT), taken from a US Air Force (USAF) KC-135 Stratotanker during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.


As a consequence future air attacks on Iran (where US aircraft are used as launch platforms for missiles), must now come from much further afield, which will require aircraft refueling through KC-135 stratotankers. This greatly increases the tight and long range support-systems needed to assist and US attacks. Some future air attacks on Iran may have to come from the Continental US or Europe using B-52, B1, and even B-2 bombers on long air missions.

This new information shown in the satellite imagery may indicate a reason why major attacks were not made against Iran this weekend.