In a major escalation on day 24 of the 2026 US-Iran war, Iranian forces have carried out one of their most ambitious and successful operations yet, directly hitting America’s largest and most strategic military installations across the Middle East and injuring nearly 200 US troops.
According to U.S. Central Command, Iranian ballistic missiles and drone swarms struck key facilities including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — the largest US military base in the region and headquarters for Central Command operations — as well as Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, and remaining infrastructure at the joint US-Israeli naval superbase in Bahrain. Multiple explosions rocked aircraft hangars, command centers, fuel depots, and troop housing areas.
Of the nearly 200 American service members injured, the majority sustained minor wounds, but at least 18 cases are reported as serious. The overall US death toll in the conflict now stands at 13. Iranian state media celebrated the operation as a “precise and powerful response,” claiming significant damage to runways, aircraft, and logistics hubs that support US air operations.
This coordinated strike comes after weeks of relentless Iranian retaliation, including the destruction of five US KC-135 flying tankers at Prince Sultan, the downing of three F-22 Raptors, devastating cluster munition attacks on Tel Aviv, burning of Western tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and the shocking loss of a US aircraft carrier to a Russian Su-35.
President Donald Trump has again acknowledged that Iran’s response has been far more aggressive and effective than anticipated, admitting US forces were initially caught off guard by the scale of Tehran’s multi-domain counteroffensive.
The attacks have further тιԍнтened Iran’s pressure on the Strait of Hormuz, keeping Brent crude oil prices above $110 per barrel and raising fears of deeper global economic disruption. The USS Tripoli remains positioned off Iran’s coast as part of efforts to reopen the vital waterway.
With America’s most important regional bases now under direct and repeated fire, the war has entered a dangerous new phase where US power projection in the Gulf is being seriously challenged.
The situation remains highly volatile as both sides prepare for further intense fighting.
