Al Dhafra Air Base is a joint UAE-US military facility near Abu Dhabi hosting F-35s, F-22s, and KC-135 tankers. It is the primary US air hub in the Gulf and a key staging point for operations during the 2026 Iran conflict.Source: enrichment

What aircraft are based at Al Dhafra?

Al Dhafra hosts F-35A stealth fighters, F-22 Raptors, KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft, and various reconnaissance and support platforms operated primarily by the US Air Force.Source: enrichment

Why does Iran threaten to target Al Dhafra Air Base?

Iran considers Al Dhafra a forward operating base for the US-led Coalition and has cited it as justification for threatening UAE territory. Tehran argues that hosting strike aircraft makes the UAE a co-belligerent in the 2026 conflict.Source: enrichment

Background

During the 2026 Iran-Israel-US Conflict, Al Dhafra emerged as the primary staging hub for Coalition air operations. French Rafale jets redeployed to the base

after France authorised use of its Gulf facilities to US-led forces , significantly expanding the base's multinational character.

Al Dhafra Air Base is a joint United Arab Emirates and United States military facility located approximately 20 kilometres south-west of Abu Dhabi. Established as an Emirati installation, it became a cornerstone of US power projection in the Gulf following a bilateral defence agreement in the early 1990s. Today it hosts the largest concentration of advanced US Air Force assets in the region, including F-35A stealth fighters, F-22 Raptors, KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft, and reconnaissance platforms.

Iran has repeatedly cited Al Dhafra as justification for targeting UAE territory, framing it as a forward operating platform for what Tehran calls an aggressor Coalition. The base's dual military-civilian adjacency to Abu Dhabi gives it both strategic and symbolic weight in the conflict.

Source Material

US Forces in the UAE — US Department of Defense Al Dhafra Air Base — Wikipedia

How the World Sees Them

Iran

Tehran designates Al Dhafra a legitimate military target, arguing that hosting US and allied strike aircraft makes the UAE a co-belligerent. Iranian officials have issued repeated warnings to Abu Dhabi to expel foreign forces or face the consequences.

United States

Washington treats Al Dhafra as its most capable forward air base in the Gulf, essential for both deterrence and active operations against Iranian targets. The US Fifth Air Force uses the facility as a command node for regional air superiority.

United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi frames Al Dhafra as a sovereign defence asset and a guarantor of national security. The UAE government has resisted pressure to publicly distance itself from the base despite Iranian threats against its territory.