Iran Hits Key US Radar, Deepening Gulf Missile Defense Woes
Iran has destroyed a key $300 million radar system crucial to directing US missile defense batteries in the Gulf that risks further straining the region’s ability to counter future attacks, according to a US official.
Satellite photos show that an RTX Corp. AN/TPY-2 radar and support equipment — used by US THAAD missile defense systems — was destroyed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan in the opening days of the war, CNN reported earlier, citing commercial satellite imagery. The destruction of the equipment was later confirmed by a US official.
Data gathered by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank show two reported Iranian strikes in Jordan: one on Feb. 28 and one on March 3. Both were reported to have been intercepted.
“If successful, an Iranian strike on a THAAD radar would mark one of Iran’s most successful attacks so far,” said Ryan Brobst, deputy director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. However, he added that “the US military and its partners have other radars that can continue to provide air and missile defense coverage, mitigating the loss of any single radar.”
US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, units are meant to destroy ballistic missiles at the edges of the atmosphere, enabling them to engage more difficult threats than shorter-range Patriot batteries. With this AN/TPY-2 radar out of commission, missile interception duties will fall onto the Patriot systems, for which PAC-3 missiles are already in short supply.
The US has eight THAAD systems globally, including in South Korea and Guam. The batteries cost about $1 billion each, with the radar comprising about $300 million of that, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“These are scarce strategic resources and its loss is a huge blow,” said Tom Karako, a missile defense expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The Army’s current “eight-battery force is still below the force structure requirements of nine set back in 2012, so there aren’t exactly any spare TPY-2 lying around,” he said.
A THAAD battery consists of 90 soldiers, six truck mounted launchers and forty-eight interceptors — 8 per launcher — one TPY-2 radar, as well as a tactical fire control and communication unit. Each interceptor missile, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp., costs about $13 million.
“If you want integrated air and missile defenses, this is just one of the things you’d put in the theater,” said William Alberque, a Europe-based senior fellow at the Pacific Forum research institute.
Earlier in the war, an AN/FPS-132 radar in Qatar — a fixed installation unlike the mobile THAAD system — was damaged during an Iranian attack, according to research from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, California.
That system is an early warning radar, designed to spot threats at extreme distances but without the precision needed to launch weapons at them.
Air and missile defense systems in the Gulf region have been stressed and, at times, overwhelmed by Iranian retaliatory attacks of drones and ballistic missiles. It has prompted fears that stockpiles of advanced interceptors such as THAAD and PAC-3 will soon run dangerously low.
On Friday, defense contractors including Lockheed and RTX met at the White House as the Pentagon pushes to speed weapons production.
I was right, the troll simply wanted my attention. He's repeating what I posted to me as if I wasn't the person that posted it and as if I don't know what I posted.
LEAGUE OF CHIEF IMAMS CAUTION NIGERIANS AGAINST MEDDLING IN MIDDLE EAST CRISIS
•Warns against protest, allowing global events to trigger local unrest
Nigerians, especially Lagos residents, have been cautioned against any kind of protest, disaffection or act that can jeopardise peaceful coexistence in the country due to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. They were also warned against meddling in the ongoing war between Iran, Israel and the United States.
The League of Chief Imams made the appeal while speaking at the 2026 Ramadan Tafsir/Iftar programme, held at the Lagos House, Ikeja, on Tuesday night.
The position of the Chief Imams was a reaction to the protest staged in some parts of the country, particularly by members of the South-West chapter of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria on Monday in Lagos over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, during recent United States-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Reacting to the development, the League of Chief Imams who spoke through the National Missioner and Chief Imam of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdulrahman Ahmad, called for calm and restraint, warning that Nigeria must not allow global events to trigger local unrest.
He said that Ramadan and Lent periods should be used to pray for the continuous peace of Lagos and Nigeria rather than embarking on protests or any form of disaffection over the Middle East crisis, noting that any form of demonstration or protest should be disallowed.
The Islamic cleric noted that Nigeria is also affected by current global happenings; hence, the need for reflection, solution-solving and constant prayers for the government to succeed at both the state and federal levels.
He said: "Beware of fitnah; when it happens, it will not only affect those who are responsible for it, but it will also affect all of us. The crisis in the Middle East is fitnah. This is a time for prayer, a time to be part of peace; this is not a time for protest and demonstration. This is not a time for insults. This is not a time for upheavals. It is a time of sober reflection.
“Allah has warned us to beware of a calamity that, when it happens, will not just affect those who are responsible for it. And at the moment, it is affecting all of us. How may it go? I told the congregation they should prepare for an increase in fuel prices. And today, if you have refilled your vehicle's tank, you will know how much petrol is being sold per litre. Chances are that it could even go further. It could even hit N2,000 per litre. It may even be worse than that, except we face it with prayer."
While expressing sadness over the loss of lives and destruction of property in the ongoing Middle East crisis, Sheikh Ahmad said that if citizens cannot be part of the solution, they should not become part of the problem. He also warned against propaganda and being drawn into conflicts that do not directly concern the nation, urging Nigerians to pray for those affected in the Middle East as well as for peace and stability at home.
Referencing the aftermath of the 2020 EndSARS protests, which caused a lot of destruction in Lagos State and other parts of the country, the National Missioner and Chief Imam of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria noted that Lagos State and Nigeria are still dealing with the consequences and cannot afford further disruption.
"We are not happy that our brothers and fellow human beings have been attacked on a daily basis, but then, if we cannot be part of the solution, we should not be part of the problem. Don’t join a protest that you don't know anything about. Remember that the country is still dealing with the effect of EndSARS protests. Don't cause disruption. Your intention may be pure, may be good, but do you know about the next person who will hide under that and cause mayhem and cause destruction? That is why we have come to appeal to all of us that we should be part of the solution, not a part of the problem," he said.
The League of Chief Imams also implored Nigerians to embrace unity, responsibility and spiritual reflection, praying that the sanctity of the month of Ramadan would bring relief and peace to the world. They also urged clerics to use their respective altars to preach against disaffection, confusion and any form of protest and allow peace to thrive across the land.
The 2026 Ramadan Tafsir/Iftar programme was attended by Islamic clerics, Muslim faithful, top government officials, civil servants and journalists.
Photos:
Pix 9745, 9758 from left: Grand Chief Imam of Ikorodu Division, Sheikh Sefiudeen Ademoritan Oloworibi; Chief Imam of Lagos State, Shaykh (Engr) Sulaimon Oluwatoyin Abou-Nolla; National Missioner, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdrahman Olanrewaju Ahmad; Al-Mufasir, Lagos Central Mosque, Imam Shakiru A. Gafar and Chief Imam and Chairman, Mission Board Lagos State Secretariat Community Central Mosque, Imam (Dr) Sa'eid Ahmad during a press briefing on the solidarity protest in Lagos on the United States-Israel strike on Iran at the Ramadan Tafsir/Ifar, held at the State Mosque, Lagos House, Ikeja on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Pix 9733 from left: Chief Imam of Badagry, Fadhilat Sheikh Al-Imam Abdul-Hakeem Akewusola; Chief Imam of Epe, Sheikh AbdulRahman Abiola Sadallah; Grand Chief Imam of Ikorodu Division, Sheikh Sefiudeen Ademoritan Oloworibi; Chief Imam of Lagos State, Shaykh (Engr) Sulaimon Oluwatoyin Abou-Nolla; National Missioner, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdrahman Olanrewaju Ahmad; Al-Mufasir, Lagos Central Mosque, Imam Shakirudeen Gafar and Chief Imam and Chairman, Mission Board Lagos State Secretariat Community Central Mosque, Imam (Dr) Sa'eid Ahmad during a press briefing on the solidarity protest in Lagos on the United States-Israel strike on Iran at the Ramadan Tafsir/Ifar, held at the State Mosque, Lagos House, Ikeja on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Baxilexi: @OP, he said he turned down their initial request but has agreed to a new request made to destroy Iranian missiles depot.
Listen after 2:00
Can you read, can you listen and can you comprehend??
Everything he said is right there and here's a summary of it:
1) The United Kingdom did not join the initial attacks on Iran, Donald Trump said that he's diappointed in the UK, but he stands by his decision. His duty is to do what's in the best interest of the United Kingdom and that's what he has done. He also believes that the best way to resolve issues is via negotiations.
2) He has denied requests for the United States to use British bases in Cyprus. He has obligations to the UK's friends and allies in Cyprus and he believes that this is the best decision. He won't allow the US to use British bases in Cyprus.
A Royal Air Force base in Cyprus was attacked. That was not because of any decision that he made.
3) Iran has been attacking targets across the Middle East since the death of the Supreme Leader. He believes that this is reckless and can cause serious problems. He believes that the best way to stop these attacks is to destroy the missiles either in storage or in their launchers. Solely for this defensive purpose he has accepted a later American request to use British bases to destroy the missiles in their storage or launchers. They can only be used in this purpose.
This explanation is clear, it will be my last and it also goes for the other accounts that are raising this issue.
It was clearly stated in the video that I posted and it was clearly stated in the article that I posted and I will not be explaining something so obvious again.
This story has led to a massive debate on Twitter. Some British people are asking how a Nigerian woman can send British youth to go and die overseas. Nigerians reply that she is not Nigerian, she is British. The Britons insist that she is Nigerian, but Nigerians say that she was born in the UK, she said that she does not feel Nigerian and Nigerians have disowned her.
Telegraph Politics @TelePolitics
Britain must attack Iran, Kemi Badenoch has said.
The Tory leader called for the RAF to help destroy Tehran’s missile sites and prevent new launches against regional allies.
"President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain's national interest, that is what I have done". He also explains why Britain refused to allow America use British bases in Cyprus.
Video: Sir Keir Starmer explains his decision to Parliament.
PM stands by decision not to join strikes on Iran and sends more jets to Qatar
Emily McGarvey
Sir Keir Starmer has said he stands by his decision not to join the initial US-Israel strikes on Iran on Saturday, and said talks would be the best way forward.
At a Downing Street news conference, the PM said the UK had "the strength to stand by our values and our principles no matter the pressure to do otherwise".
The UK's longstanding position was that the best way forward was a "negotiated settlement with Iran where they give up their nuclear ambitions", he added, saying efforts should be made to "de-escalate" the conflict.
Sir Keir said the conflict could continue for "some time", as he announced the UK is sending four additional Typhoon fighter jets to Qatar.
US President Donald Trump has already criticised the prime minister for refusing to allow the use of UK bases in the initial strikes, and said he is "not Winston Churchill".
The UK agreed on Sunday to a US request to use British military bases but only for defensive strikes on Iranian missile sites.
Trump said the initial decision was "shocking" and that the UK-US relationship was "not what it was".
But Sir Keir insisted the special relationship between the US and the UK had not been fractured.
"Look, the special relationship is in operation right now," he told reporters on Thursday.
"We're sharing intelligence on a 24/7 basis in the usual way. That is the special relationship."
Sir Keir, who chaired a meeting of the government's emergency committee Cobra on Thursday, acknowledged that people are "worried sick about their family and friends who are caught up in this".
"We will do everything we can to protect British lives," he said.
The PM denied the UK was not prepared for the conflict, pointing out that Britain began pre-deploying assets to the region earlier this year - particularly Qatar and Cyprus - alongside the US and other allies.
Defence sources said 400 additional UK personnel had been sent over the past weeks to support air defence activities across the UK's bases in Cyprus.
It comes after the government faced criticism for its response when British bases in Bahrain and Cyprus were struck at the weekend.
"A lot of pre-planning has gone into this and a lot of pre-deployment," the prime minister said.
"I am satisfied we can keep our people safe."
Along with the Typhoon jets which defence sources say will be "rapidly" deployed, two wildcat helicopters with anti-drone-capabilities will also arrive in Cyprus on Friday.
The British warship HMS Dragon will also sail to Cyprus, but Defence Secretary John Healey told the BBC it will arrive "within the next couple of weeks".
It comes after a drone struck the runway at RAF Akrotiri on Sunday, causing what the Ministry of Defence described as "minimal damage".
Earlier, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Sometimes the best way to de-escalate a situation is to try and finish it quickly, rather than let it drag out because you don't want to get involved.
"Once our bases had been attacked, I think we became part of this, whether we liked it or not."
Healey met his counterpart Vasilis Palmas in Cyprus on Thursday to discuss how the UK was reinforcing air defences to support "our shared security," the PM's spokesman said.
Speaking to the BBC afterwards, he declined to answer whether he would rule out the UK joining the US and Israel strikes on Iran.
"We're doing now what the British can do best. We've got more jets here in Cyprus than any other nation," he said.
But he said, "the nature of any war, and any conflict, is that it changes".
"We just don't know for sure what the Iranians will do," he said, adding that the UK will adapt its action to ensure protection of the British people, forces and allies.
He also said the best assessment of the drone that struck the Akrotiri base was "probably fired from Lebanon".
Lorraine, a Briton who has lived in Cyprus for 35 years, told the BBC: "We feel more supported from the other European countries than we do from our own."
She praised Greece and France for being quick to help after attacks on the island, and her message for the UK government was to "step up".
Meanwhile, the UK has updated its travel advice for Cyprus, warning that the risk of a terrorist attack cannot be ruled out.
Sir Keir also said the first government-chartered flight for Britons stranded in the Middle East has taken off from Oman after it was delayed.
The repatriation flight from Oman was due to take off on Wednesday evening but it remained grounded after technical issues.
Sir Keir said that about 4,000 Britons had already made it home from the region, with thousands still stuck in the Middle East.
More than 140,000 people in the region have registered their presence with the UK government, he said.
A further seven flights are due to leave the UAE for the UK on Thursday, Sir Keir said, adding that the government will lay on additional charter flights in the coming days.
He said British Airways was putting on daily flights from Oman, and the government will keep working with partners to "increase the speed and capacity of this airlift".
Iran has retaliated to US-Israeli air strikes by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf, including Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
OK, I'm about to give up, so let me tell you what I've been searching for.
I don't have what I've been searching for (the past), but I have something that looks like it (the future), so I'll use the future to explain the past.
Photos 1 and 2) This is the HQ-9 medium and long range air defence system. Nigeria does not yet have this, but we are in discussions with China to buy them. What I have been searching for is an old system that is similar to this, but I can't remember its name. If we buy the HQ-9 then we'll be the third country in the world to have them (after China and the UAE).
Photo 3) The discussions about procuring the HQ-9 took place side by side with the discussions to acquire the Wing Loong II drone. We've already gotten the drone (we are the third country in the world to field it, after China and the UAE), all that's left is the air defence system.
Foreign Affairs › Re: Iran Hits Key US Radar, Deepening Gulf Missile Defense Woes by naptu2(op): 7:27am On Mar 07
