Iran targets US missile shield as radar strikes rattle Gulf defences

The AN/TPY-2 radar at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base sustained damage. The system is used for detecting and tracking ballistic missiles.

Iranian forces are systematically targeting the most critical components of America’s missile defence network across the Middle East, raising fears that the region’s protective shield is being quietly dismantled.

Military analysts say Tehran’s counteroffensive — launched after the US-led assault known as Operation Epic Fury — has focused on destroying the radar systems that guide American interceptor missiles.

Strike hits key US radar in Jordan

The Pentagon has confirmed an Iranian strike on a radar installation at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.

The damaged system is part of the AN/TPY-2 radar network that supports the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile shield. Without those sensors, interceptor missiles cannot accurately track incoming threats.

Defence specialists say the radar is effectively the “heart” of the system.

A precision campaign against US defences

Iran’s retaliatory operation — dubbed Operation True Promise 4 — appears designed to cripple the region’s early-warning architecture rather than overwhelm it with missiles.

Satellite imagery analysed by the open-source group Islander Reports suggests damage at multiple radar locations across the Gulf.

Potential strike sites include Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates and installations in Qatar.

Billions in military hardware at risk

The radar systems under attack are among the most expensive pieces of equipment in the US arsenal.

An AN/TPY-2 unit can cost up to $1 billion and only about 20 have been produced since the 1990s. Analysts say even the loss of a single system would have a major operational impact.

If two radar units are disabled, experts warn that entire THAAD batteries could be rendered ineffective.

Strategic gamble with global consequences

Replacing destroyed radar systems could take years — and redeploying replacements would require pulling them from other theatres.

That would weaken US missile defence coverage elsewhere, potentially exposing allies in other regions.

For now, the strikes signal a clear shift in Iran’s strategy: not just retaliating against American power, but blinding the systems designed to stop it.

Iran is systematically taking out crucial US missile defense tools: reports