Iranian strike near Al Minhad causes minor damage, Albanese confirms no Australian casualties; all you need to know about Australia’s Middle East hub and its military assets

An Iranian attack struck near Al Minhad Air Base, a key logistics hub for Australian forces in the Middle East, damaging military accommodation and medical facilities but leaving personnel unharmed, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

It remains unclear whether the strike involved a missile or a drone. Still, Anthony Albanese said it ignited a fire that caused “minor damage” to an accommodation block and a medical facility. The strike marks the second time Al Minhad Air Base has been targeted in the conflict, after an earlier Iranian drone attack in its opening days.

Located about 24 km south of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Al Minhad Air Base serves as the headquarters of the Australian Defence Force and a key hub for Australia’s Middle East operations.


"I can confirm that no Australian personnel were injured, and everyone is absolutely safe at this point in time," Albanese said. "There was minor damage to an accommodation block and a medical facility due to a small fire that was created as a result of that projectile hitting a road leading up to that base."

Though owned by the United Arab Emirates, Al Minhad Air Base has served as a key Australian Defence Force logistics, surveillance, and transit hub in the Middle East since 2003, with its presence scaled down after the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.

Australian military presence and assets at Al Minhad Air Base

At Al Minhad Air Base, Australia maintains a modest but strategically significant military footprint. Assets at the base are primarily geared toward logistics, surveillance, and air mobility, including transport aircraft

According to Abc.net news, Home to more than 100 Australian troops, Al Minhad Air Base also hosts British forces and a small contingent of United States personnel. The Boeing E-7A Wedgetail deployed to the Middle East last week was not at the base when the projectile struck.

The facility also supports intelligence operations, medical units, and rotational deployments, while hosting allied forces from the United Kingdom and the United States. From Al Minhad Air Base, Australia has also conducted humanitarian airdrop missions delivering critical aid to civilians displaced by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Iraq.

The base’s importance lies in its role as Australia’s principal gateway to the Middle East, enabling rapid troop movement, supply chain continuity, and regional surveillance.