The Pentagon has officially confirmed for the first time that at least one Iranian short- or medium-range ballistic missile struck Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar during the June 23 attack, which was carried out in retaliation for U.S. strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran.
In a statement to Air & Space Forces Magazine, Pentagon Chief Spokesman Sean Parnell said, “One Iranian ballistic missile impacted Al Udeid Air Base on June 23, while the remainder were intercepted by U.S. and Qatari air defense systems. The impact caused minimal damage to equipment and infrastructure—there were no injuries. Al Udeid remains fully operational and continues its mission, alongside our Qatari partners, to ensure regional security and stability.”
This confirmation follows the release of satellite imagery by Iran International and the Associated Press, which showed significant damage to a geodesic radome and several nearby buildings at the base. The radome reportedly housed a $15 million Modernization Enterprise Terminal (MET), a secure communications system used to link U.S. military leadership with personnel across the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility.
While not explicitly denying an impact, U.S. officials initially downplayed the severity of the strike—likely in an effort to avoid derailing the swift ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Iran shortly after the attack. On June 23, President Trump posted on social media that 13 out of 14 Iranian ballistic missiles had been intercepted, with one missile “set free” because it was assessed not to pose a threat—likely referring to the missile that struck the radome.
At a June 26 Pentagon briefing, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine acknowledged “reports of something getting through,” but declined to provide further details or confirm damage at the time.
